Never Say Never
by scribeninja
Summary: -"I was willing to wait... because a girl like Sookie Stackhouse is the kind of girl you wait for." -Eric Northman. Journey of two people coming together. Eric and Sookie. AH-OOC. M for language, lemons, and adult subject matter, namely emotional abuse.
1. Keep Telling Yourself That

**Yes, I've started a new fic. Yes, I am crazy. Yes, I hope ya'll don't hate me. **

**I got this idea after watching a youtube E/S vid, and this story will follow the plot of that vid. The vidder, nutbustedhaji, is awesome and totally cool with me writing this. I'm looking at it as an exercise in writing more angsty emotions. This is one of those stories where Eric and Sookie aren't truly together until the end. This is about the journey of them coming together, and it's one heck of a journey, so stick with me on it!**

**I'm thinking this is only going to be about 10-15 chapters, so it shouldn't take too awful long to complete. No worries about my other fics though. Honestly, whether I was posting this or not I would have been working on it, so my other stories were going to get the same amount of attention regardless. In all likeliness you'll be getting updates from me more often, just not to the same fics. :)**

**Huge thanks to my two beta loves for this fic, FDM and SMeadows. You two are so amazing, and this would still read like crap without you. *Viking hugs***

**I'd also like to give a warning that this will deal with a subtle emotional/mental form of abuse, so if you're sensitive to something like that, please go into this cautiously. **

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Chapter 1 – Keep Telling Yourself That

Sookie Stackhouse was a waitress at my bar. When she first came in to apply for a job I thought she was a pretty face, but probably just like every other blonde-haired, large-breasted woman. I assumed she was dumb, and loose; I couldn't have been more wrong. Within a couple of nights she proved herself to be hardworking and smart. She had a thick skin, and didn't put up with the drunks behaving inappropriately.

I found myself looking for excuses to talk to her when she stayed late to finish up her closing duties. She was sweet, caring, and had such a great sense of humor. She seemed to have no clue that all these qualities made her extremely attractive, and that was refreshing and endearing. I quickly realized that she was everything I wanted in a woman; only any other woman with the same qualities wouldn't cut it because they simply weren't her.

The only negative thing about her? She wasn't single.

It would be like that, wouldn't it? I finally find a great woman; a woman that I could see myself with in the long run, and she wasn't available. Isn't there a saying that women use? "All the good ones are either married or gay." For men the saying is, "All the good ones are either married or in a relationship with a jackass who doesn't appreciate them." Well, maybe that's not quite how it goes, but you understand what I mean.

Her boyfriend was Bill Compton. The guy was an asshole. I found out about him when he came into the bar to see her, and I saw her give him a peck on the cheek. Instantly, I flooded with jealousy, and then she saw me and brought me over to introduce us. I didn't understand how she couldn't tell what a smug bastard he was, but I hoped that she would eventually. I was willing to wait though, because a girl like Sookie Stackhouse is the kind of girl you wait for.

Something about Sookie's nature made me suspect that she had been through a lot. For lack of a better term, she was kind of damaged. I first noticed this the day her grandmother died. Sookie always put on a mask for other people. When she smiled, or was truly happy, her soul shined through it. She was innately good.

Sookie was working a busy shift when she got the news of her grandmother's passing. Her brother came in, walked right up to her, and slapped her across the face. I had been heading back to my office at the time, and saw it happen. Immediately, I was at her side, ready to defend her. Her brother was screaming at her that it was her fault their grandmother had died as two of my bartenders held him back. The patrons in the bar all surrounded us and watched the scene play out like the vultures they were.

"What?" she asked, her voice quavering with shock.

"Gran had a heart attack, and you weren't there to take care of her! She was already dead when I found her, and it's your fault!" he screamed at her.

"Get him out of here," I ordered the bartenders and gently led Sookie back to my office.

Once I made sure she was seated comfortably, I hollered at one of the waitresses to bring her a bottle of water. I picked up the phone and called the coroner's office, and after explaining the situation, they confirmed that Mrs. Adele Stackhouse had died of a heart attack earlier in the evening.

I hung up and looked at Sookie. She was slumped on my leather couch; looking the weakest I'd ever seen her. It was obvious that she was trying desperately not to fall apart. There was a red mark on her cheek where her brother had struck her, so I grabbed an ice pack out of my little freezer. You'd be surprised how handy those are in a bar. I slowly walked over to her and knelt in front of her, wanting nothing more than to embrace her to soothe her pain. I brushed some hair behind her ear, and her eyes snapped to mine.

"She's really gone, isn't she?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, Sookie," I said, and she burst into tears, dropping her head in her hands.

I had no idea what to do with a crying woman, so I grabbed some tissues and waited. Her crying escalated into sobs, and I couldn't take it anymore. I tentatively reached out to her, slowly wrapping her in a hug. To my surprise, and I'm sorry to say, delight, she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me back. Even more to my surprise, I was able to calm her down when I began gently humming. It was what my mother used to do to me when I was a kid, and it seemed to work with Sookie too. Eventually, she stopped crying, and pulled back.

"Oh, goodness. I've made a mess of your shirt!" she said with a horrified look on her face.

"Oh, it's okay. It's not the only one I have," I smiled.

She gave me a half-hearted smile in return and took the tissues from my hand. While she dried her eyes, and wiped her nose, I asked her if there was anyone I could call to pick her up.

"Well, Jason's a big fat no. My friend Amelia is working."

"What about Bill?" I asked.

She seemed to close off the tiniest bit when I said his name. She shook her head. "No, I can't call him. He's working on some new program; he doesn't like to be bothered."

"Even in a situation like this?" I asked, genuinely shocked. She couldn't even turn to her boyfriend when her grandmother died? That was ridiculous. She shook her head.

"I can take you," I said. "Just let me tell Pam I'm leaving."

"Oh no, Eric. I can't ask you to do that. I'll just drive myself," she insisted.

"You're not going anywhere as upset as you are. Let me drive you."

She finally accepted, and I drove her home. She stared out the window the whole way, quietly giving me directions when I needed them. When we finally pulled up to her house, she stiffened. There was a car in the drive, and a person sitting on the porch. It was Bill. I started to get out of the car with her, but she stopped me.

"Thanks for the ride, Eric. I really appreciate it."

She made to get out of the car, but I put my hand on her shoulder. She looked back at me nervously.

"Call me when you're ready to come back to work, okay? Take all the time you need. I'll get your shifts covered."

She nodded, thanked me again, and got out of the car. I watched her walk up to Bill, and watched him start wildly gesturing to my car; it almost looked like they were arguing. I assumed it wasn't going to do her any good with me watching them, so I pulled out of the drive and headed back to the bar.

My thoughts consumed me. What kind of boyfriend yells at his girlfriend just after her grandmother dies? I briefly wondered if he would get physically abusive with her and considered turning back, but I stopped myself. I'd never seen so much as a tiny bruise on her, and she didn't really seem like the type to put up with a man that would hit a woman. Although, I still felt a bit uneasy about the whole thing, but I kept driving.

That was a year ago. Sookie came back to work about a week after her grandmother passed, and again, she thanked me for being there for her. She made no indication that things with her and Bill were bad, and she still never had any bruises. She never wore heavy make-up, so I just assumed that I was trying to make Bill out to be worse that what he was.

I continued to admire Sookie from afar. Not in a creepy way or anything. I simply enjoyed her company when I could and tried to be there for her without pissing Bill off. I'd like to think that we became friends. She began to feel comfortable enough to call me if she needed a night off while dealing with her grief, and I was happy about that. She knew she could turn to me when things were rough.

Pam was the only one who seemed to guess at my interest in Sookie, and she called me a pussy for not going after her. Pam was my best friend, and like a sister to me. She always had been. She was smart, ruthless, extremely business-savvy, and also a lesbian, so our relationship worked out well. I tried to explain to her that Sookie couldn't be won like that. I couldn't simply put the moves on her until she cracked and gave in. She was obviously in a 'complicated' relationship with Bill and dealing with the death of someone close to her. Vulnerable as she was, I couldn't bring myself to take advantage of her.

It always struck me how different she was while she was waitressing or alone with me compared to how she acted around Bill. She seemed so… not herself around him, like she was watching her every move. Yet, it almost seemed automatic, as though she didn't even know she was doing it.

Over the year that we had grown closer, I considered bringing up her relationship with Bill many times purely out of concern for her. In passing, I once mentioned that if she ever wanted to 'talk', I would listen, and she nearly bit my head off defending him. She said he'd been through a lot, and that she loved him, which nearly broke my heart. She also said I shouldn't judge him for how he is around others.

I could actually see in her eyes that she had some affection for him. I wouldn't call it love, but that's what she thought it was, so I backed off. She apologized to me the next day, but I told her there was nothing to apologize for, and I haven't asked about her relationship with Bill since.

Sookie was off work tonight for her anniversary with Bill. I tried not to think about the reason. The paperwork on my desk had been mounting up, so I stayed holed up in my office until I decided to go get some takeout for Pam and me. Since she had been craving pasta, Pam asked me to go to a little place across town, claiming that they had the only Alfredo in town that she'd eat. Normally I would have argued, but I knew I could use the extra time by myself.

My phone rang when I was halfway there, and I expected it to be Pam with another crazy demand.

"Pam, I'm not changing the order. You're getting what you said you wanted," I answered.

"Eric?" Asked a voice that was definitely not Pam. A voice that sounded upset.

"Sookie?" I asked, immediately on edge.

"Have you seen Bill?"

"No, I thought you two were celebrating tonight."

"He was supposed to meet me, but he didn't show up. That was two hours ago, and he hasn't called. He's not answering his cell. I was hoping someone had seen him at some point today."

"I'm sorry, I haven't seen him. Are you… Should… Do you want me to come help you look for him?"

Yes, I just asked the woman I was falling for if she wanted my help looking for her boyfriend. Maybe I really was a pansy-ass.

"No, that's okay. Please call me if you see him though."

"I will."

After we hung up I wondered if I should go to her house anyway. She sounded really upset. I knew I wouldn't be of much help though, so I continued on to the restaurant.

When I arrived, I was told the orders were backed up, so I sat down for a few minutes and let my mind wander. All I could think about was Sookie. I wondered if she was okay. It may have been year since the loss of her grandmother, but that was still pretty recent, and she was probably going crazy with worry, wondering if Bill was lying dead in a ditch somewhere.

Only he wasn't lying dead in a ditch. Unfortunately, he walked into the restaurant healthy as a horse, with a woman on his arm, a woman who wasn't Sookie. I recognized the woman to be Lorena, his ex-girlfriend. Lorena had come into the bar once, and Sookie reacted badly to seeing her. Curiosity had gotten the best of me, so I had asked who she was. Sookie told me that Lorena was Bill's high school sweetheart, and apparently they had had a nasty break up. Shortly after, Sookie met Bill and she's been with him ever since, but she didn't like Lorena.

As they walked to a corner booth, Bill leaned down and whispered in her ear, causing her to giggle. My blood was boiling as I watched them get cozy at their table, and within seconds they were making out. They only briefly stopped when his cell phone rang. He picked it up, looked at the caller ID once before muting it, and set it back down. I had no doubt that he had just ignored a call from Sookie, who was going out of her mind with worry.

I didn't understand how he could be cheating on the sweet, funny, beautiful woman that was Sookie with that skanky piece of trash. I was about two seconds away from walking over there and giving him a piece of my mind, and perhaps my fist, when the waitress told me that my food was ready. I quickly paid for the food and took off back to the bar.

"You have to tell her," Pam said after I told her what had happened.

"Pam, she loves him. I can't do that to her."

"You'd rather watch her spend her life with a man she thinks she loves, knowing that he cheats on her, than tell her and let her make her own decision? She deserves to know, now go."

I left to appease Pam, but I didn't really have the full intentions of going to Sookie's house. I drove around aimlessly, trying to decide what to do, and subconsciously found myself driving down Sookie's road. My headlights shone on her sitting on the porch steps, and when she saw them she jumped up and ran to the driveway, but stopped when she saw it was me.

"Eric? What are you doing here?" she asked when I got out of the car. "Did you see Bill?"

I could tell she'd been crying, and I knew I'd have to do this delicately.

"Sookie, can I come inside? I need to talk to you," I said gently, calmly.

She nodded. "Yeah, sure. Come in."

She was the perfect hostess, even in her distress; she offered me a beverage, and made sure I was comfortable.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" she asked nervously once we were sitting down.

"Do you know that little restaurant called Joy's in Shreveport?" I asked.

"Yes, I think Bill took me there once when we started dating. Why?"

"I went there tonight to get food, and I was on my way there when you called earlier."

"Okay…" she said, unsure of why I was telling her this.

"I saw Bill when I got there."

"Oh thank God! Was he okay?" she asked, and then it seemed to sink in a bit. "Why was he there?" she asked quietly, almost as though she was afraid to hear herself.

"He was fine," I said, while I tried to grow some balls to tell her what I knew was going to hurt her. I found it strange that this seemed harder than telling her that her grandmother had passed away.

"He was with Lorena, and they weren't acting like just friends."

She had a look of shock on her face, and refused to look into my eyes. She shook her head slightly, as though she was trying to erase her thoughts.

"What were they acting like?"

"They were kissing… a lot."

Her eyes clenched shut, and her head dropped. Again, I didn't know what to do. Her heart was probably breaking, and even though I wasn't the asshole that cheated on her, I was still the asshole that delivered the blow. So I stayed silent and waited. After a few second I saw the tears start to drop to the floor, and I immediately looked around for some tissues. When I found some, I knelt on the floor in front of her like I had when her grandmother died. I held the tissues out for her, and she quietly took them, dried her eyes, and then abruptly stood up.

"Eric, thank you for coming to tell me, but I think I want to be alone right now," she said as strongly as she could.

I wasn't going to argue with her for fear of her kicking me out. I stood up and bent to give her a brief, soft kiss on her temple, and said, "Please call me if you need anything, even if it's just to talk. I really am here for you, Sookie."

She nodded, but didn't say anything, so I left. As I drove home, I tried to tell myself that this could be a turning point. Maybe she and Bill would split up, and after she healed from it I could start pursuing her. She'd realize that she deserved better, give me a chance, and then she'd fall in love with me. I smiled at the idea. Sookie could fall in love with me.

_Yeah, keep telling yourself that._

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**Okay! Now that you've read it, what do you think? Please let me know! I can't get any better if I don't know what people think of it. **

***bites nails***

_P.S. I'll post the link to the vid this is based on in my profile. Give it a bit to show up though :)_


	2. Denial

**Chapter 2 - Denial**

After Eric left I went to my room, climbed onto my bed, curled up into the fetal position, and cried my eyes out. Here I had been going out of my mind with worry that Bill was lying dead in a ditch somewhere, and he was off making out with his ex-girlfriend. Then Eric Northman had to be the one to deliver the news? Talk about dying of embarrassment. I considered Eric to be one of my friends, but this situation was something I would have preferred people not know about, especially Eric. He had already tried to get me to "talk" about my relationship with Bill once, and now he knew that Bill had cheated on me.

I had grown closer to Eric in the year since I started working for him, but especially since my grandmother's passing. He was there for me the way I expected a friend to be, and it really made me see him in a new light. He was never anything but respectful towards me, and he never tried anything, which went against the things I had heard about him. When Bill never showed up to pick me up for our anniversary date, Eric was the first person I called. I don't know why, but his number was the one I dialed.

Now here I was, on my four-year anniversary, crying my eyes out. It wasn't exactly the way I had planned on ending the night. I felt so alone. I hadn't felt this alone since Gran died. Even then I was pretty alone. When I saw Bill that night, I expected him to hold me and tell me everything would be fine. Instead, he griped at me about getting a ride home from Eric. I ended up telling him to just go home, and spent the night alone in the house my grandmother had just died in. Now I was alone after finding out that he had most likely cheated on me.

I immediately decided to break up with him. He cheated, so that was the natural reaction, right? The thought broke my heart even more. I didn't want to be alone. All I had ever done was try to make him happy, but apparently I failed because he was out on our anniversary with his ex.

I began to pick apart all the things I'd done lately, but realized I hadn't done anything different. Perhaps he was just tired of me in general. I knew I wasn't exactly a prize in the sack. Bill was my first everything, and after about a week of first having sex with him, he didn't seem that excited about it anymore. I tried many things to spice up our sex life, and he would enjoy the new things for a short while before appearing bored again. Even recently, I could count on one hand the number of orgasms I'd had with him in the last few months. But instead of making me want to break up with him, it made me want to try harder. Maybe that's where I went wrong. Bill didn't want someone that tried so much; he wanted a natural. He was probably just staying with me out of pity.

Those thoughts kept running through my head until I fell asleep, mentally exhausted, and when I woke up the next morning I had a huge headache. The first thing I did was take some aspirin, and then I got into the shower. After that, I checked my messages. There was only one, and it wasn't from Bill.

"Hey, It's Eric. I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing. I… I'll see you tonight if you're still coming to work. Bye, Sookie."

I wanted to smile at his thoughtfulness, but it really only made me think of the reason why he called in the first place. I opened my phone again, and dialed Bill. It rang three times before he answered.

"Who the hell is calling me at eight in the morning?" he grumbled in the phone.

"Your ex-girlfriend, you jackass," I said back.

He paused for a minute before speaking again. "Sookie? What are you talking about?"

"I know who you were with last night. I know that you cheated on me. If you were going to do that, why did you have to do it on our anniversary?" I actually felt angry instead of sad for once.

"I'm coming over," was all he said before he hung up.

I didn't get the chance to tell him that I didn't want to see him. I thought about leaving so I didn't have to see him, but I didn't know where to go. Amelia was out of town for another couple of days, and there was no way in hell I was going to visit Jason. I thought about going to see Sam, but he probably didn't want to hear about my issues with Bill. He never had liked him much.

Instead of leaving, I began cleaning. I managed to get the all the counters in the kitchen bleached by the time Bill got there. He actually knocked, which never happened.

"Come in," I said.

He immediately walked up to me and wrapped his arms around me. I stilled in his embrace, and refused to look at him. He smelled so good though; like sandalwood and herbs. It was his distinct smell, and it was one I had grown to be comforted by. Probably because I used to feel completely safe with him when he'd hold me close. After he released me, he led me by the hand to the living room, and we sat down on the couch together.

"Sookie, I'm sorry," he began. "I was in Shreveport yesterday to get you a gift, and I ran into Lorena. She asked if I'd have lunch with her, and I didn't see why not, so I went. She convinced me to have a drink, and we started talking. I think it was a plan on her part, because somehow one drink led to several, and before I knew it things progressed much further than what they should have. I felt awful afterward, and I left her place immediately. I knew I had to tell you, but I didn't know how. Unfortunately someone did for me."

Slowly, I felt my anger wane. Maybe he had just made a mistake, and it was all Lorena's fault. He said he was sorry it had happened; he would have never cheated on me if not for Lorena purposely trying to seduce him. What if it really wasn't about me? I hadn't done anything wrong.

"I made a mistake, Sookie. It'll never happen again."

I nodded, and he pulled me into another embrace.

"Look, Bill. I know I can forgive you for this, but I'll never forget it. I'm not completely sure I still want to be with you."

"Even after what I just told you?" he said coldly. "I apologized, Sookie. I told you it wasn't my fault. I've forgiven you for things before."

"I know that, but Bill, this feels like a betrayal," I started, but could tell this would just lead to an argument. "Look, I have to work tonight, so why don't you come in later, and I'll let you know what I've decided then."

He looked pissed, but agreed to it, and after giving me a kiss on the cheek, he left.

I had a lot to think about, but I was pretty sure I'd choose to stay with him. I knew that if I had slipped up like that, I'd desperately want him to forgive me. We could get past this. It would make us a stronger couple. I knew it could. The fact that it happened on our anniversary held no consequence really. I mean, yeah, that stung a bit, but it could have happened on any other day, and it wouldn't have mattered.

I spent the entire day thinking about it while I cleaned, and by the time I had to go to work, I knew my answer. When I got to the bar, Eric was already there, and as soon as he saw me he asked me to come to his office with him. I followed him back there, and sat in the chair in front of his desk. He sat down in the one behind it, looking slightly disappointed, and I wondered if he thought we were going to sit on the couch together like we did when we had our more friend-like chats.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I called Bill this morning, and he came over. He explained everything. He was in town to get me a gift, and ran into Lorena. She asked him to have lunch with her, and he had a few drinks. One thing led to another… He made a mistake, and he apologized for it."

"So you're staying with him," he said, more than he asked.

"Yes."

"Why?" he asked, seeming a little angry.

I didn't really feel like divulging certain details of my world to Eric, but I knew I had to if I wanted him to understand.

"It wasn't his fault. Besides, Bill was my first boyfriend, my first kiss, my first love, my first everything. He's only been with one other woman, so I feel… safe with him. He's not the kind of guy to plow through women. He's the kind of guy that wants to settle down. Women go through their whole lives without finding a guy like that, so I'm going to hold onto mine."

"Bill cheated on you, Sookie. That doesn't sound like a guy that wants to settle down. That sounds like a guy that's not worth your devotion."

"It was one time. It was a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. You've made your fair share, ya know," I said, getting a bit defensive.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"I just… I really considered not applying here because of the things I had heard about you."

"Things like what?"

"I met some girls that used to work here, and some that currently work here, and while they admitted that you were a good boss, they said you liked to sleep with the waitresses. I wasn't sure if you were the kind of person I wanted to work for, but I needed a job, and I knew I could handle you if you tried anything…" I trailed off, not really wanting to insult him any further.

"Sookie, you have to consider the source. You wouldn't believe how many girls apply here just because they think I'll sleep with them. I don't sleep around."

I snorted. I couldn't believe he expected me to doubt what I'd heard, especially since Bill had warned me about Eric's status among the ladies as well. "Are you kidding me? A person doesn't get a reputation like that without being a playboy at some point. You've probably been with hundreds of nameless women."

He didn't smile or smirk like I thought he would. He actually looked a little hurt.

"I've never been the type to sleep around, and I prefer to be in a monogamous relationship. I can count on one hand how many women I've slept with, and I remember all their names. You can choose to believe what you want, but that's the truth," he said, almost coldly.

_Wow_. That was all I could think. I couldn't help but believe him. He'd never been anything but honest with me, and I had a feeling that I could tell if he were lying. The questions remained though. Why tell me? Why didn't he just let me think he was a playboy? Why did he feel the need to tell me that he wasn't like that? The biggest question was: Why did I care?

"I should get to work," I said, and stood up to leave. When I got to the door, he spoke again.

"Oh, and Sookie," he said, and I turned around to face him. He had something like sheer determination in his eyes. "I've never cheated on anyone."

I quickly nodded, and left as fast as I could. The way he said it, the look in his eyes when he said it… it was like it knocked the wind out of me, and I didn't understand why. I had to go to the bathroom to catch my breath before I got to work.

The night seemed to drag on. The drunks were being rowdy, and Bill hadn't come in yet. Eric kept popping up out of nowhere, and he always seemed to be looking at me. I felt like he was judging me for staying with Bill. He probably thought I was pathetic, and I tried to tell myself that I shouldn't care what he thought, but for some reason or another, I did.

Bill came in at about ten, and I was busy at the time, so I couldn't go to him immediately. By the time I did, he was already in his brooding mood.

"So, have you decided my fate yet? Is there a reason you made me wait this long? You know, you have a lot of gall asking me to wait for your decision when I could've just as easily said that I didn't want to be with you anymore," he said, and that last comment made me panic a bit. He was being a jerk, but I knew that I would have been frustrated if I'd waited a whole day to find out if Bill was staying with me or not.

"I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt this time Bill, but just make sure it never happens again, okay?"

He nodded, and pulled me to him for a kiss. I pulled away quickly because it wasn't appropriate, and I bumped right into Eric.

"Bill, nice to see you again," he said. "While I don't mind that you come here when Sookie's working, I would appreciate it if you didn't have public displays of affection while she's on duty."

I glanced back at Bill worriedly. He didn't like to be told what to do, but he surprised me by nodding at Eric. Eric walked away after that, and then Bill laid into me.

"What the fuck was that about, Sookie? Why is your boss telling me shit like that? Did you tell him about what happened?"

"He's telling you that because it was inappropriate, and no, I did not tell him what happened, he told me. He was the one that saw you."

I knew the instant it came out of my mouth I shouldn't have said it.

"I should have known that womanizing asshole was the one to tell you. He's a prick, Sookie! He wants you for himself!"

"Bill, stop it! I won't argue with you about this here."

"Then I'm taking you home tonight. We'll talk about it in the car, and I'll bring you to work tomorrow."

"You haven't been drinking, have you?"

"No, I haven't."

"Fine. I'll see you when my shift's over."

"I'm leaving, and I'll come back to get you," he said as he walked off.

That certainly hadn't gone the way I wanted. I got back to work, and didn't see much more of Eric the rest of the night. I was actually glad. He made things worse, albeit unintentionally, but they were worse.

By the time my shift was over, Eric had emerged from his office. He came up to me, looking like he wanted to talk.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry for the way I reacted to your decision, and I'm sorry for getting on Bill about kissing you. I just don't want the other patrons seeing that and thinking they can do it to. Not everybody knows that it was your boyfriend kissing you, and not some random customer. I do consider you a friend, Sookie, and I care about you. But because I'm your friend, I have to believe that you are doing what you believe is best, and I will support you if it's what you really want."

Again, Eric managed to surprise me. I had tears in my eyes when he finished his speech, and immediately hugged him.

"Thank you," I said.

I was surprised how comforting his scent was as I breathed it in. It wasn't like Bill's at all. I couldn't even put a finger on what it reminded me of. It was purely Eric. Almost as quickly as I hugged him, I pulled away.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I said, and he offered me a smile before I walked away. I went outside to find it raining.

"Great," I muttered, not wanting to wait in the rain for Bill. Luckily, he pulled up just as I was about to run to my car.

I got in, and he took off as soon as the door was closed. I scrambled to get my seatbelt on.

"Slow down, Bill," I said.

"Did you cheat on me with him?" he asked, and I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He must have gone to another bar.

"Bill, slow down. Pull over. You've been drinking, and you need to let me drive."

"Answer the question," he said as he stepped on the gas pedal harder.

"No, I didn't cheat on you. I would never do that," I answered, hoping it would calm him down.

"Is that a guilt trip? Why are you being such a bitch about this? I thought you said you've forgiven me."

"I do forgive you, and I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip. I love you, Bill. Please slow down!" I begged. My parents had died in a car accident, and he knew driving fast scared me. I was gripping the armrest and the door grip so hard my fingers were white.

"This is my car, and I'll drive how I want!" he yelled, and almost immediately after, we began to hydroplane. Bill did the one thing you never do when you hydroplane, and slammed on the brakes. I screamed as we skidded off the road and down the embankment. The last thing I heard was a sickening crack before I was knocked out.

* * *

**First of all I want to say Thank You to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and put the story on alert! The response to this story has been so great, and I appreciate all the support. **

**I have to tell you that Sookie will probably seem frustrating in this. She's obviously been emotionally abused by Bill for a long time and hasn't really had her wake-up call yet. It'll happen, I promise. Like I said last time, I know just where this story is going, and I'm not going to jerk ya'll around when it comes to getting Eric and Sookie together. They'll get there, but it's going to take a bit of time. Have I ever lied to you? ;)**

**Huge thanks to FDM and Meads for pulling beta duties on this story. They're the best, and they are helping tremendously with this story. **

**Okay, so... did ya'll like chapter 2?**


	3. Don't Worry About It

**First of all, I'd like to apologize for being so lame about answering reviews for the last chapter. I don't know why I didn't sit myself down and just do it. *facepalm* I'm sorry about that. I swear that I will reply to all of them for this chapter though. I have the next two days off work, so I have no excuse not to :)**

**A few people have expressed that they don't really feel that Sookie is being abused. One, this is realistic, I know it from first hand experience. Two, abuse comes in all shapes and sizes and victims react in different ways. There is no blanket stereotype, nor should there be. Three, this story will evolve in a slow manner because I'm aiming for realism. All I ask is that you give it some time. **

**I really want to stress that Sookie is not weak. She's not stupid or pathetic. Saying so really upsets me. She's been made to think she is all these things, which causes her to make unwise decisions, but she is not any of them. I can only hope that women on this site who have been through this type of abuse don't read those things. Sookie has an inner strength, and she needs to find it. She needs to have a wake-up call, and until then she will continue to think she is all those awful things. Remember that sometimes it takes a while for a wake-up call to happen.**

**Without further ado...**

**Chapter 3- "Don't worry about it."**

I was sleeping, quite poorly, when the sound of a phone ringing pulled me out of it. I sat up and looked at my alarm clock, which read three a.m. Letting out a groan, I grabbed my phone and answered it as I flopped back down on my pillow.

"This better be good."

"Eric, you need to get up and get to the hospital," came Pam's urgent voice.

I sat up straight again. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's Sookie," she said.

My mind began racing. When I left the bar earlier that night, Sookie's car was still there. I had called Pam to ask if Sookie had come back in at some point, and Pam told me that she saw Sookie get into Bill's car when she left. I had been relieved that she was okay, and went home, trying not to think about her decision to stay with the asshole.

"What happened?" I asked as I got up and began frantically throwing on clothes.

"There was a car accident. Bill's fine, and Sookie's condition was moderate, but my source says she's still unconscious."

"What hospital?"

She gave me the answer, and I was out the door in less than a minute. I drove as fast as I could in the heavy rain, and still made it there in less than ten minutes. Pam's "source" had given her the room number, so I went straight to it, and if anyone asked the dreaded "are you family" question, I knew I would tell them I was her brother. It wasn't likely that her actual brother would be there.

I didn't see Bill anywhere on the way in, and I was glad. I was already willing to kill him for putting Sookie in danger. When I got to the room, I took a deep breath before walking in. Sookie was still unconscious. Her arm was in a sling, and her right cheek was swollen. She was hooked up to an I.V., and one of those annoying machines that beeped constantly. I went to her side and picked up her hand.

A nurse walked in then and asked the dreaded question.

"I'm her brother. I know it's not visiting hours, but I just found out. What is the extent of her injuries?"

The nurse nodded and filled me in. She had a concussion, three bruised ribs, a fractured arm, a dislocated shoulder, and a cracked cheekbone.

"How long will it take for her to wake up?" I asked.

"As long as it takes. Everything is fine, it wasn't a bad bump, and we're expecting her to wake up anytime."

"Thank you," I told her, and after she wrote down a few things in Sookie's chart, she left the room again.

I stayed with Sookie for a few more minutes and then left to go get some coffee. I wasn't leaving until she woke up. On my way to get the coffee, I ran into Bill. He was quietly talking on his cell phone, which he wasn't supposed to be doing in the hospital in the first place, but it was what I heard him saying that really pissed me off.

"No baby, I'm fine. I miss you too. Just wait until Sookie wakes up, and then I'll go to your place. No, I don't know how long it's going to take. If she doesn't wake up within and hour, I'll just leave. Lorena, stop complaining, I'll see you soon."

He hung up the phone and turned around.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Northman?" he asked when he saw me.

"I'm here because I actually care about Sookie. What are you doing down here talking to Lorena while Sookie is unconscious?"

"You don't know what you're talking about, and you had better stay away from Sookie," he threatened.

"That's not going to happen. You're an idiot. You put her in danger, and I won't let it happen again."

"You don't have a choice in the matter. She took me back."

"And you put her in the hospital. Tell me, Bill. Were you drinking tonight? Maybe I need to go inform the police that they should give you a breathalyzer."

"You don't scare me with that bullshit," he said, but his eyes told a different story.

"Do her a favor, and stop pretending like you care for her. Let her go."

"No."

"Then stay down here until I leave, or I will be giving the police a call," I said and went right back to Sookie's room, forgetting all about the coffee.

I tried to calm myself down by the time I reached her room again, but when I saw her lying there, hurt and weak, I wanted to throw something. Instead, I pulled a chair up beside her bed and took her hand in mine again. My thumb slowly rubbed circles on the back of her hand, and I began to nod off. I rested my head on the bed right next to her leg and kept my hand on hers. While I slept, I had dreams of Sookie. Not good ones. Ones where she died in car accidents. Ones where I went to her funeral. They were things I never wanted to dream about again as long as I lived.

I woke up at about five in the morning, my hand still on Sookie's, and the first thing I did was check on her. Her eyes were still closed, but I noticed that her head was moving slightly. It was like she was trying to wake up from a bad dream. I stood up and caressed her unharmed cheekbone with my thumb as I whispered gently to her.

"Sookie, you're okay. Wake up."

Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open, and as she focused on me, I smiled. "Hey there, beautiful."

"Eric?" she croaked out and winced.

I hit the call button for a nurse and got her a cup of water. I put my hand on the back of her neck as I held it to her lips so she could drink. She took a good, long drink, her eyes never leaving mine. When she was finished, I set the cup down, and sat next to her on the bed.

"What happened?" she asked.

I frowned. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Getting into Bill's car after work. Was there an accident? Is he okay?"

"Bill is fine. You two were in a car accident. You got the worst of it I'm afraid, but you'll be fine."

The nurse came in then and started talking to Sookie, asking her questions, and shining a light in her eyes. She left after a few minutes, and before I could say anything else to Sookie, Bill walked in. I was surprised; I would have thought he left by now.

"Bill! Are you okay? What happened?" she asked him frantically.

"I'm fine. We just hydroplaned. The rain was pretty heavy."

I was pissed. I should have known he'd lie to her about what happened, and I knew she wouldn't listen if I told her he'd been drinking. I went up to her and bent to give her a kiss on the forehead.

"Call me if you need anything, okay?" I said, and she nodded. I gave one last glare to Bill before I left.

SPOV

I was so relieved to see with my own eyes that Bill was okay.

After Eric left, I asked Bill again, "Are you really okay?"

"Just a few bruises and a scratch. I'll be fine," he said as he walked around the room.

"How did it happen?"

"I told you, we hydroplaned," he insisted without looking at me.

"Yes, but your car has new tires. How fast were you going?"

He turned on me then and hissed, "If you're just going to accuse me of lying, then don't bother asking."

"I didn't…" I began, but stopped, because it wasn't worth it to argue with him.

Bill had his cell phone in his hand and set it down on my bed while he went into the bathroom. I thought about Eric while he was in there. Why had he been the one sitting with me when I woke up? Why did he even come to the hospital? He didn't need to do that. I noticed that he looked pissed when he left, and I wondered if it was because of Bill.

Bill's phone rang, breaking me out of my thoughts. I picked it up, and looked at the caller ID. It was Lorena. Without thinking, I answered it but didn't say anything. She immediately began talking.

"Why aren't you here yet? Isn't she awake by now? God, just leave her and come over. I miss you."

I shut the phone. It wasn't a one-time thing. He was either doing this all the time, or he was planning on it. Either way, it finally hit me. Bill was cheating on me. Hot tears were running down my face as Bill came out of the bathroom. He looked at me, then at his phone in my hand, and back at me again.

"Sookie, don't go getting all pissed off," he began.

"Leave," I said.

"Sookie…" He started, and the phone rang again. It was her.

"Get out. Leave me alone. I don't want to see you again! Do you hear me? Get! Out!" I screamed and threw his phone at the door.

The nurse came running in and made him leave, and I asked her if she could help me make a phone call. She showed me how to get a line out, and I dialed the first number I thought of.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Eric," I said, and the tears started flowing again. "Can you please come back? Can you come get me?"

"I'll be right there," he said, and hung up.

I'm pretty sure I cried until he got there, and when he walked in, he immediately came over to me and gave me a careful hug. He let me sob into his shirt again, and then he began to hum to calm me down. It was very comforting, and it did the trick.

"What happened?" he asked gently when I stopped crying.

"I broke up with him. Lorena called his phone, and I answered it. I'm sorry I had you come back here, but they said they could discharge me soon, and I needed a ride. You were the first person I thought of."

"It's okay," he said. "I'm glad you called me."

"Would you mind taking me home?"

He didn't say anything for a minute, and he looked like he was considering something.

"Would you consider coming to my home? It's closer, and I'm running on very little sleep right now. I've got a guest room, and the bed is comfortable. You're going to need to rest a lot, and I know it's hard to do things one-handed. I can take care of you."

I shook my head. "I don't want to be too much trouble. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can, but I want to help. I can let Pam run things for a few days, at least until you are moving around a bit better, or when your friend gets back from her trip."

I knew there was no way out of it, and really, would it be that bad? Eric wasn't a bad man. I knew that. I trusted him, and I knew he'd take care of me. There wasn't anyone else I could turn to. Amelia was out of town, Jason and I were estranged, Tara worked all the time, and even if I was still with Bill, I knew he wouldn't have actually taken care of me.

"Okay, but can you take me to my house tomorrow so I can get some clothes?"

He smiled. "Yes, and I'm sure I have a shirt you can wear tonight."

I blushed at the thought of wearing a man's shirt. Bill didn't even like for me to wear his.

"When are they discharging you?"

"I'm not sure. The nurse said the doctor wanted to see me once more, and then they would do it."

He went out to the nurse's station to ask, and when he came back he told me the doctor would see me in about thirty minutes. He left to get some coffee since he said he'd only had about three hours of sleep.

Eric sat with me until the doctor come by. At one point during the wait, he actually turned on some cartoons. I have to tell you, it's quite entertaining to watch a big, masculine man like Eric laugh at a cartoon like Tom and Jerry. It was adorable actually. I had a feeling that I was going to be seeing a different side to Eric while I stayed with him. I had been to his house a couple of times, but I hadn't seen the whole thing. He had a moderate-sized two-story home with a two-car garage. It was actually the perfect home for a family, though Eric lived in it alone. I wondered if he hoped to fill it with a family someday. I also wondered why I felt a pang in my gut when I thought of Eric having a family.

At that point the doctor entered the room. Eric switched off the television and paid close attention to what the doctor was saying about my injuries. I was glad, because I was starting to feel a bit out of it with the painkillers I was required to take. From what Eric told me later, my ribs would heal on their own, but I needed to keep them wrapped for a few days. My cheekbone was the same, but I'd need to come back so they could deal with my wrist, and I would be able to take the sling off in about a week. He handed Eric a couple of prescriptions, told me he'd see me soon, and then the good doctor left. Eric went out to the nurse's station to see about my discharge paperwork, and after we got all that straightened out, he came back with a wheelchair.

"Oh no, I'm not riding in one of those things," I said.

"It's hospital policy, you have to," he grinned. "Don't worry about it, you still need to get dressed."

He was right, I did. I tried to sit up and winced at the discomfort. Eric started to help me, but went to get a nurse instead. She was a kind, older lady, and she helped me into the bathroom, where we got my clothes back on. I realized that I was going to need help from Eric to change later and blushed deeply at the thought. I was beginning to re-think staying with him.

"Oh don't blush dear. You don't have anything I haven't seen before," the nurse said, and I smiled at her.

After I was dressed, the nurse helped me into the wheelchair. I spotted my purse on the bedside table, and I asked Eric to grab it for me. I assumed that Bill grabbed it from the car, or perhaps one of the EMT's. The nurse wheeled me out of the room while Eric went ahead to pull his car up to the entrance. I was carefully helped into the vehicle, and as soon as I was in I put on my seatbelt. I should have known something like this would happen. My hands began to shake, and by the time Eric got into the driver's seat, I was about to have a meltdown.

"Sookie," he gently said as he took my good hand. "Look at me."

I did.

"I passed my permit test with a one hundred percent, and on my driver's test I almost did the same. The instructor only docked points because I bumped into the rubber pole while parallel parking. I don't go above the speed limit, and I've never had a ticket. This car has front and side airbags. You are going to be fine. Take a deep breath."

I listened to his words and breathed in deeply before letting it out slowly. I let what he said sink in a bit. Eric was a safe driver. This was a safe car. I would be fine. I'm not sure how long we sat there, but eventually I nodded that it was okay. He carefully released my hand, and started the car. He pulled out slowly, and drove ten miles under the speed limit the whole way to the pharmacy. He didn't even get annoyed with all the people honking and flipping us off.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

"Don't be. I want you to feel safe, and if it means I have to drive like an old granny, then I will."

I smiled at him and said, "Thank you."

When we got to the pharmacy, Eric went in to get my prescriptions. He was back in ten minutes, and we left at the same slow speed to get to his house. Suddenly, a thought hit me.

"Oh my gosh, you paid for my prescriptions, didn't you? Let me get you some money for that," I said as I dug through my purse.

"Sookie, don't worry about it. They weren't that much."

Then another thought hit me. "What about the hospital bill? I don't even remember seeing it… Eric, you didn't!"

"Please don't worry about it. The accident wasn't your fault, so you shouldn't have to pay for it."

"It wasn't your fault either. Tell me how much it was, and I'll pay you back."

"No."

"Eric."

"Sookie."

"Take it out of my paychecks."

"No."

"I'll find a way to pay you back."

"Okay," he said, but I knew he only did it to keep me from arguing with him about it any longer.

When we pulled up to his house and into his garage, I started to get nervous again. Now I had to accept Eric's help. He grabbed my prescriptions and my purse and ran them into the house before coming back for me. It was harder to get out of the car than it was to get in it, and eventually Eric just picked me up and carried me. It was embarrassing as all get-out, but he did put me down once we were inside. I hobbled over to my bag of pills on the counter and looked at all the labels. I needed to take some now, so I asked Eric for some water. He got it for me, and I took the pills.

"So where am I sleeping?" I asked awkwardly when I noticed that he was staring at me.

"I'll show you," he said and gestured for me to follow him. Luckily, his bedroom and the one I'd be staying in were on the first floor. They were also right next to each other. He went to grab a shirt for me to sleep in while I used the bathroom. It took me forever, and by the time I came back, he was lying on his back across my bed.

"That's where I'm sleeping, buddy," I laughed, and he immediately shot up off the bed.

He smiled and handed me the shirt, and then started to walk out.

"Eric, wait," I said, beginning to blush furiously.

"What?"

"I… I sort of… I need…"

"What's wrong?"

"I need your help. Getting dressed…"

"Oh," he said, and I refused to look him in the eye. I didn't want to have even a hint at what he was thinking.

"I'm sorry about this," I said as he walked over to me.

"Don't worry about it," he said for probably the twentieth time.

I sat on the bed so he could take off my shoes and socks, and then I stood up again so he could help me with my sling and shirt. It took a little coordinating, but we managed to get it off, and then I was standing in front of him wearing only my bra, and my pants. Again, I refused to look him in the eyes.

"Turn around," he said in a low voice, and my blush grew deeper. I did as he asked, and felt his hands at my back, unhooking my bra. He pulled the strap down and off my good arm, and then worked the other one off my bad arm. Without looking, he reached beside me and grabbed the big shirt he brought me, and helped me put it on. After it was on, I started to feel better, not quite so exposed. Then he reached around me and undid my pants. I knew I could to that much, but I couldn't seem to say anything. He opened the button, and unzipped the fly before sliding them down past my hips, and letting them drop into a pool at my feet.

"Underwear on or off?" he asked, and I took in a sharp breath.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want them off now so I can wash them with the rest of your clothes, or do you want them on? It's up to you and what you're comfortable with."

I really didn't want to wear dirty underwear when I woke up, so I said one word, "Off."

His thumbs hooked into the waistband of my panties, and he quickly pulled them down, making it as painless, and un-embarrassing as possible for me. I stepped out of my underwear and jeans, and Eric picked up all my dirty clothes to take with him. He set them in a pile by the door, and then walked back to the bed to pull the covers down.

I slowly and carefully slid in between the sheets, and relaxed against the fluffy pillows. The bed felt like heaven. Clean sheets, giant pillows, and what felt like a pillow-top mattress… Yes, I was in heaven.

"Do you need anything before I go to bed?" Eric asked.

"No, I think I'm good," I said.

He smiled and bent to kiss me on the forehead, something he really seemed to like doing. "If you need anything, just holler for me, okay? Don't try to do it yourself if you think you can't."

I nodded, and then he walked towards the door, stopping to pick up my pile of dirty clothes.

"Eric," I said, and he turned to look at me.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," I paused. "For everything."

"You're welcome."

"Goodnight, Eric," I smiled.

"Good Morning, Sookie," he smiled back, and then shut the door.

* * *

**Okay, how is everyone feeling about this? Some major emotional-type shiz is going to happen in the next chapter, but it's probably not quite what you're thinking. You want fluff? I can offer it, just not here. Go check out two of my other stories that are chock full of the pink fluffy happiness. WDMC is almost complete, and SB is long-ish, but the Nerdvirgin isn't currently talking to me so I have no clue when an update shall happen there *sigh***

**Huge thank you to my beta loves FDM and Meads! You ladies rock my socks. A special thanks to Zigs for her golden words and general fuckawesomeness :)**


	4. Always

**Chapter 4 - Always**

I could barely sleep, and the only thought that afforded me any comfort was that Sookie was safe. She wasn't with Bill anymore, and she was safe in my home.

When I woke up the next afternoon the first thing I did was check on her. She was still sleeping soundly, so I left her alone. She definitely needed her rest. I checked on her again after I got out of the shower. Since she was still out, I decided to make us some breakfast and surprise her with it.

First I went to put her clothes in the dryer, and then I started making a huge breakfast. As I began to cook I thought about the night before. I never thought that the first time I undressed her would be like that. I tried desperately to rein myself in, but it took a lot of willpower to keep from sneaking a peek at her naked breasts. The only thing that truly kept me from it was telling myself that she was in pain, and the last thing she needed was a strange man staring at her naked body. Not that I'm strange to her, but in the sense that I've never seen her in the buff, yes, I am strange.

When I finished cooking, I got a breakfast tray ready. I loaded it up with food, knowing that she needed to eat well. When I was satisfied with the amount of food and the presentation, I picked it up and headed to her room while trying to ignore the warm feelings that taking Sookie breakfast in bed was giving me. If I wanted to get anywhere with her, I'd have to take it slow, especially now.

I was definitely willing to do just that. She was worth it.

As I walked into the room, Sookie began to stir. Her eyes opened and she blinked at the bright light coming in through the thin curtains.

"Looks like I timed this just right," I said softly, not wanting to startle her. She looked at me and smiled softly.

"How did you sleep?" I asked.

"Very well, thank you. This bed is extremely comfortable."

I grinned broadly, glad that she was able to be comfortable considering how banged up she was.

"What is this?" she asked as I set down the tray in front of her.

"You've never had breakfast in bed before?" I asked with a smile.

"It's two in the afternoon," she said as she took in the amount of food on the tray. "Do you think I'm a cow?"

I laughed, and she gave me a look that made me think I shouldn't have. Assuming there was some history there, I gently explained myself.

"No, I don't think you're a cow. The nurse said to make sure you eat well to keep up your strength. I always start my day with breakfast food no matter what time I get up, and I never get the chance to cook for anyone else."

"You made all this?"

"Yes. Those waffles aren't Eggo's. It's a from-scratch recipe. I made the eggs scrambled because I wasn't sure how you liked yours. I also didn't know your preference on bacon or sausage, so I made both. There's strawberry jam from the farmer's market for the toast, and that's real maple syrup for the waffles. I also didn't know if you preferred coffee or OJ, so I got you both."

"Wow," was all she said as a slow smile crept across her face.

"I'll leave you alone while you eat," I said, and started to get up to go clean the kitchen and have some breakfast myself.

"Wait," she said, and I stopped. "Would you… Did you want to stay? I mean, I wouldn't mind some company while I eat."

I smiled. "Sure. Let me go get a plate, and I'll be right back."

I had a grin on my face the whole way out to the kitchen. She wanted my company. I quickly fixed a plate, grabbed a cup of coffee, and headed back to her bedroom. She was already eating when I got back and had a huge grin on her face. It was nice to see.

"Do you like it?" I asked as I took a big bite of my own waffles.

"Yes! I haven't had good breakfast food since… well, since Gran passed. Mine is decent, but never as good as this," she said and then looked sideways at me. "I think Gran would've liked you."

I smiled, knowing that would've been an honor. "I think I would've liked your Gran, too."

I was rewarded with a genuine smile in return, and then we ate our breakfast together. I had to help her cut up her waffles a couple of times, but other than that she did fine. She surprised me when she took a sip of the coffee.

"Oh gosh this is so good," she said. "I haven't had coffee in so long."

"Why's that? I know I can't start my day without it."

She paused for a second, and suddenly wouldn't meet my eyes. "It's just… Bill. He doesn't like coffee and I do, so when I drink it he has me brush my teeth before I can kiss him. It just became easier to stop drinking it."

"That's ridiculous," I said with an edge to my voice before I could stop myself.

That time her eyes snapped to mine, anger flashing in them. "No, it's not. It was something he didn't care for so I compromised. There's nothing wrong with that. That's what you do when you love someone."

"It's only a compromise when you get something out of it too," I said gently, not wanting to upset her further.

She chose to drop it, and continued to sip her coffee while finishing up her breakfast. By the time we were done the tension had lessened, and Sookie thanked me for the meal.

"That really was delicious. Thank you so much for making it," she said.

"It wasn't a problem," I said as I gathered up out dishes to take back to the kitchen.

Sookie used the bathroom and attempted to get dressed in her now-clean clothes while I did the dishes. I told her to holler for me if she needed help, but she never did. Instead, she emerged from her bedroom just as I was wiping down the counter about forty-five minutes later. She looked disheveled and was breathing a little heavily, but she had a triumphant smile on her face.

"I dressed myself," she said proudly.

"I see that," I smiled. "Are you ready to go get some of your things?"

"Yes, but I need help with my shoes," she said, looking down at them.

She had them untied, and was able to get them on, but she needed both hands to tie them again. I gestured for her to follow me to the living room and had her sit on the couch. She winced as she sat down.

"Is it your ribs?" I asked.

"Among other things," she said. "I need to take my pills, and the wrapping for my ribs is a little loose."

"I can help you with that," I said as I finished tying her shoes.

I helped her stand back up and then gently lifted her shirt, being careful not to startle her, or make her uncomfortable. Working quickly, I unwrapped, and then rewrapped her torso. She thanked me again, took her pills, grabbed her purse, and then we were out the door. She was moving much quicker than the night before and only seemed to be in pain when she had to stand up or sit down.

As soon as we were on the road I turned on the radio and told Sookie to pick the music.

"No, that's okay. We can listen to whatever you want," she said.

"As long as it's not country or opera, I don't care," I said. "Go ahead and put it on whatever you like."

"Really, it's your car. The driver picks the music," she insisted.

There was something about her tone that made me think this wasn't so much about politeness, as it was the remnants of something Bill had done. I put it on a pop station and watched her response. She didn't seem to react one way or another, so I changed it to something else and again, she didn't react. When I got to a classic rock station a small smile appeared on her face, so I left it there. She had the same taste in music as I did.

When we got to her house I helped her out of the car, and then we went inside. I helped her pack some things, and loaded up the car.

"Um, I know this is awkward, but I really want to take a shower, and I don't know how to go about that with this stupid cast," she told me when I came back inside.

"Lucky for you, I broke my arm when I was a kid," I said and started to walk towards the kitchen.

"Why is that lucky for me?" she asked.

"Because I know how to wrap your arm up and make it waterproof," I said with a smile.

She sat at the kitchen table, and I knelt in front of her with all the things I needed after she told me where they were. Carefully, I wrapped her arm up until I was sure no water would be getting near her cast.

When I finished I offered her a smile and saw that she was staring intently at me.

"There, that should do it," I said, and she snapped out of it.

"Thank you," she said quietly, and then stood up.

"Do you need any help with your clothes?" I asked, trying not to sound like I desperately wanted to undress her.

"No, I think I can manage," she said. "Feel free to watch some television or a movie. Make yourself at home."

Sookie went into the bathroom, and about fifteen minutes later I finally heard the water turn on. I wished she would have let me help her, but I understood how awkward it would have been.

While I waited I looked around the living room, and when I found some old photo albums I took the opportunity to see what Sookie was like as a kid. I smiled when I saw pictures of her as a baby. She was adorable, and was grinning in every one. I kept going through albums, and loved watching her grow through the pictures. There were some from when she was probably seven or eight where she wasn't smiling at all; especially in ones that looked to be from family functions. Slowly, her smile came back, and I found myself curious about what had happened at that time in her life.

By the time I was done looking through all the photo albums, I realized that Sookie had been in the shower for almost an hour. I didn't think it would have taken her that long, even with her injuries. I knocked on the door and called her name.

"Are you alright? Do you need any help?" I asked and waited for a response, but I didn't hear anything except for the water.

I began to get worried and started pacing in front of the door, wondering if I should go in. I was afraid that she just hadn't heard me, and would be mad if I walked in on her. The other part of me was afraid that she was hurt, or even that she had done something to herself. That was the thought that got me to open the door.

The sound of the running water was louder, but it wasn't warm in the bathroom, so I knew it had run cold.

"Sookie?" I asked, but still got no response.

I slowly walked to the tub, and peeled back the curtain a bit. What I saw made me fling the curtain all the way open. Sookie was sitting in the corner of the tub with her knees pulled up to her chest, completely still.

"Sookie," I said urgently, "Are you okay?"

She didn't blink or respond, she simply stared blankly at nothing. Her entire body was shaking from the cold water, so I immediately turned off the spray. I grabbed the towel she had laid out, and climbed into the tub with her.

"Hey," I said softly as I squatted in front of her. She was still staring blankly ahead, so I slowly wrapped the towel around her, and helped her stand up. She kept her arms crossed in front of her, and still didn't acknowledge me. I stepped out of the tub and reached back in to pick her up. She wrapped her good arm around my neck, which was the first time she had responded to me. When I got her to her bedroom I tried to lay her down on the bed, but she wouldn't let go of me.

"Sookie, I have to go get your clothes," I said, but she held on tighter.

"I'm all alone," she whispered, and then began sobbing.

I sat on the bed with her, and held her cold body to mine tightly.

"You're not alone, Sookie. You have me. I promise," I told her.

"No," she said. "I'm nothing. He was right. I'm damaged goods, and nobody else will ever want me."

"That's not true," I said as I tried to keep my anger in check. Were those the kinds of things Bill was telling her? I was beginning to think there was a whole lot about her relationship with him that I hadn't caught onto yet.

She only cried harder, and I knew I needed to get her dressed. She was freezing.

"Sookie, I'm going to lay you down on the bed, and then I'm going to get your clothes from the bathroom. I'll be right back."

She released me when I laid her down, and I quickly went to the bathroom to get her clothes. When I returned she was curled up in a fetal position, but she wasn't crying anymore. I unwrapped her cast, and helped her sit up on the bed. I got her bra and underwear on as quickly as I could, hoping that having her covered up a bit would help snap her out of it.

I carefully re-wrapped her ribs, and then got her shirt on. I picked the yoga pants she had laid out and got them on up to her knees before having her stand up so I could pull them all the way on. I spotted her sling on her dresser and helped her with that as well.

"Lets go out to the living room so I can brush your hair," I said gently.

She nodded, and slowly walked out of the room while I went to the bathroom to find her hairbrush. After I grabbed it I went to the living room where I found Sookie sitting on the couch, silently crying again. I grabbed the box of tissues from the coffee table, and handed her a couple. She sniffed as she wiped away her tears, and then turned away from me so I could work on her hair.

Even as screwed up as the situation was, I couldn't help the warm feeling that came over me from doing this simple task. I loved the feel of her hair as I ran my fingers through it, and the smell of it was something I would never forget. Her hair always smelled like citrus. When I finished getting all the tangles out I set the brush down on the table, and was at a loss for how to proceed.

"You can leave if you want," she said.

"What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere," I said.

"Why would you want a crazy person staying with you? It's like you were just taking care of a baby. You shouldn't have to do that," she explained, and her tears were flowing again.

I got up and knelt in front of her. "Sookie, look at me," I demanded and she did. "You are _not _crazy. What I just did… It doesn't matter to me, okay? I didn't mind it at all. You need a friend right now, and that's what I am. I'm your friend. Something very major just happened in your life, and you need someone to lean on. Please let me be that person. I don't care if all you do is cry and take cold showers, I _will_ be here for you. Do you believe me?"

She must have stared into my eyes for a full minute before she nodded and said, "Yes, I believe you."

"Good," I smiled, and wrapped her in a hug, careful to avoid her shoulder.

"It's just so embarrassing," she said and blushed a deep shade of crimson. "You saw me naked."

"Honestly, I was more concerned about you than your nakedness. I can't even say I remember what you looked like," I told her. I really couldn't. I tried hard to remember, but just couldn't. The only thing on my mind had been making sure she was alright, so I hardly stopped to stare at her body.

She looked at me skeptically for a couple of seconds, and then her face turned completely serious.

"Thank you for being there," she said.

I brought my hand up to brush away the remnants of a tear off her unharmed cheek.

"Always," I said. "Always."

* * *

***le sigh***

**Isn't Eric just the bee's knees? **

**HUGE thank you to my beta goddess FDM for being the best beta a girl could ask for! Special huge thanks to Pix for being my second set of beta eyes while the lovely Meads is busy doing schoolwork. I love you all!**

**I also want to take another minute to thank all of you wonderful women who are reviewing this story and telling me your experiences. It truly touches my heart *hugs***

**The amazing vidder who inspired me to write this, nutbustedhaji, made another fuckawesome E/S vid!** _http://www . youtube . com/watch?v=GNF-pWGu2co_** [remove spaces]**

**It's such a great video and I am totally thinking about turning it into a story once my plate clears a bit ;)**

**As for progress, I have a completed chapter of both WDMC and SB with the beta, so those should update soon. Because it's the holiday season updates may be a bit slow. I've got family things, and so does my beta so please be patient and enjoy the holidays!**

**Okay, that's all from me for now! Let me know what you're thinking!**


	5. Moving Forward

The Support Stacie auction is live! Please go here: _http://www[dot]supportstacie[dot]com/phpBB3/viewforum[dot]php?f=24 _to see who's up for sale! I'm offering a What Dreams May Come universe one-shot, and a Studybuddies universe one-shot! _You_ get to pick what happens to the characters if you win! Think of all the things the Nerdstud hasn't done! And think of the adventures Eric hasn't had with his new son yet!

**Chapter 5 - Moving Forward**

I ended up staying with Eric for a week. Amelia's trip was extended, and by the time she returned all I needed help with was wrapping my hand so I could shower. She wanted to kill Bill, but then again, she never really liked him.

She seemed very curious about the time I spent with Eric, but there wasn't much to tell. He cooked me breakfast every morning, and then we'd have lunch together before he left to go to the bar. On his dinner break every night he would bring me some food so I didn't have to cook.

After he got back from work we would watch a movie together and talk before going to bed. Our talks were my favorite part. We told each other stories like old buddies, laughed with each other, and I felt like he was a true friend. For me, that was a big thing. I didn't have many friends anymore. Sam was my oldest friend, but we grew apart when I started dating Bill. Amelia and I had met just before I met Bill, and while I knew she never cared for him, we'd been able to remain friends. The other waitresses at the bar weren't exactly what you would call "friends." They were more like acquaintances that you were nice to while you worked with them, but never thought about when you didn't see them.

Knowing that Eric was my friend, that he cared about me enough to sit with me in the hospital after the accident, and then take me to his home so he could help me… well, that was just the sort of kindness that I hadn't experienced in a very long time. I knew my Gran would have loved him, and I told him so. He was a wonderful listener when I talked about her, or when I talked about anything else, but he really seemed to enjoy my stories about Gran.

Bill and Gran had gotten along very well at first. She loved his manners and the way he acted like a gentleman, but she always told me that what she loved the most was how happy he made me. As Bill and I grew closer, Gran seemed to grow less and less enamored with him, but she never spoke ill of him to me.

I missed Bill, despite his infidelity. I felt alone, even with Eric and Amelia there for me. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that we were no longer together, even though I'd broken up with him. He'd been the center of my universe, my reason to get up every morning. I still loved him. What he'd done was horrible, and I wasn't sure if I should love him still, but I knew that a person couldn't just wake up one morning and stop loving someone. At least I couldn't. I still craved his touch. I wanted him to hold me and tell me everything would be okay. It was ridiculous, but I still wanted it.

By the time I went back home my ribs were only sore if I moved a certain way, and my cheek was back to its normal size, but it still had a bruise and a small cut. I didn't need to use the sling anymore either, so the only real issue was my wrist and the hunk of plaster covering it.

Eric told me not to worry about work until it came off, but I was more worried about my bills than anything. I really relied on my tips. On payday, Amelia took me in to pick up my check and I was very surprised when I saw the amount. It was more than what I normally made, including my tips. At first I was shocked, and then I got angry. I told Amelia to wait in the car while I went back inside and stormed into Eric's office.

"I don't want your handouts, or your pity," I said harshly as I tossed my check onto his desk. He was doing something on his computer when I walked in and looked confused from my outburst. Then he saw what I had thrown on his desk and took a deep breath.

"Sookie…" he began, but I cut him off. Gran was probably rolling in her grave at my rudeness.

"No. I don't want it, and I won't take it. I told you as my friend that I relied on my pay, not as my boss. I work for my money, and I don't take charity," I said, my anger waning at the sad look on his face. Damn my Stackhouse pride.

"You did work for that money," he said calmly.

"What are you talking about?"

"You brought all my plants back to life," he said, a smile growing on his beautiful lips. I almost shook my head at that thought. He was my boss, and my friend, and I shouldn't have thought of him that way. I just stared at him, dumbfounded and waiting for him to continue.

He took another breath and motioned for me to sit in the chair in front of his desk. I sat down slowly since my ribs still hurt slightly, and then waited for him to continue.

"Are your ribs still sore?" he asked out of concern.

"A little, but they're much better," I answered. "Now would you care to explain all the money in my check that I didn't work for?"

"I will admit that I was looking for a way to put more money into your check since you couldn't work, but I also knew that you wouldn't take it if you didn't earn it. The accident wasn't your fault, and you don't deserve to get behind on any bills because of it. I noticed after you left my home that all my plants were alive again. I'm not entirely sure what you did to them, but there's not a single brown leaf on any of them anymore. I looked up how much you would have to pay an actual plant person to come and do that, and was quite surprised to find that it's much more than you would normally make here… including your tips," he finished with a smirk.

"So… you're supplementing my paycheck because I brought your plants back to life?" I asked.

"Precisely," he said, still smiling. "You saved me from having to throw them out or hire someone to come in and take care of them, and frankly, I trust you in my home much more than I would some stranger."

"Well… okay then. But don't do it again," I said as I stood up, taking my paycheck from where it landed on his desk. I turned to walk out the door, but stopped in the doorway and turned to face him once more.

"Thank you, Eric," I said.

He smiled and nodded, and then I left.

Later that night I explained to Amelia what Eric had told me about the plants, and she surprised me by saying that Eric was sweet on me.

"No, it's not possible," I told her.

"Yes it is. You're a beautiful girl Sook. What kind of boss visits their employee in the hospital and lets them stay at their house for a week? And then he supplements your paycheck because you watered his plants?"

"The kind of boss that is also a friend," I said.

There was no way I could entertain the thoughts of anyone liking me romantically, especially not Eric. He was my friend, and my boss, and that was it. It scared me enough that he'd been a recent addition to my more sensual dreams, and I didn't want to think that I might be in his.

"Whatever you want to believe, Sookie. You're going to have to get over Bill eventually, so why not get with someone like Eric? He likes you. He's hot. You're hot."

"No," I said firmly. "I can't think about anyone else right now. It hurts too much."

"He cheated Sookie. He was an ass to you. He…"

"Shut up," I said angrily. "Bill is not a bad person. He made a mistake, and he wasn't an ass to me. He loved me, and he cared for me."

"I can't believe you're defending him! He fucked you up Sookie! Why do you think Sam stays away? You're not the same person you used to be. When you're with Bill you look like you're afraid of your own shadow!"

"Get out of my house," I growled at her. She looked as though I'd slapped her in the face. "I can't just stop loving him, and I can't hear things like that about him. Get out."

She didn't say another word as she grabbed her things and left. As soon as the door closed I fell to the couch and cried. This was just what Bill said would happen. He said my friends would turn on me when I needed them, and that he was all I had. He was right, and at that moment I didn't even have him.

Two days later I opened my front door to Eric and a beautiful, healthy plant.

"Since you saved all of mine, they asked me to show some gratitude by bringing you one of your own," he said with a smile.

"Well thank you, please come in," I said, taking the plant from him and setting it in the perfect spot in the living room. "Can I get you something to drink? Tea, water?"

"Tea sounds great," he said.

"Please, sit. I'll be right back."

When I'd left Eric's house after the week of staying with him, he asked if we could have a movie night. I thought it sounded fun, and we both liked the same kinds of movies. I also knew I would enjoy his company, his friendship. This would be our first movie night, and he let me pick the movie.

"So what did you choose?" he asked as I handed him a glass of sweet tea and set a bowl of popcorn on the coffee table.

"I rented 'The Hangover.' I've heard it's hilarious, and it seems like the kind of movie I'd like," I said, sitting with him on the couch, but with enough space between us to fit another good-sized person.

"Pam said it's very funny, and I haven't seen it yet," he said as he picked up the bowl of popcorn and placed it on the couch between us with a smirk.

The movie was hilarious, and Eric and I laughed and laughed the whole time he was there. I don't think I stopped smiling until he left, and my cheeks actually hurt from it. I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed so much.

The next week we got together at Eric's house, and I was going to spend the night so he could take me to get my cast off the next morning. I was very hesitant about it at first, but he didn't seem to want anything _romantic_ from me like Amelia kept suggesting.

She and I had made up a couple of days after out fight. She very plainly told me that her opinion of Bill was not a good one, and that she thought I was better off without him. Then she promised not to speak ill of him as long as I promised to work on moving on. I was already doing that, so it wasn't a hard promise to make.

Eric drove to my house to pick me up, and we stopped for some take out and to rent a movie before heading back to his place. We ate Chinese food while watching another comedy, but it was our conversation after the movie was over that was really interesting.

I still don't know what made me ask, but we were having a heart-to-heart, and I blurted out something about his relationships.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You told me once that you could count on one hand the number of women you've been with, and that you were in a monogamous relationship with them. I was just curious about who they were," I explained, and then realized how rude it was to ask something like that. "But you don't have to answer that at all."

He laughed. "No, it's okay. I don't mind talking about my relationships."

I nodded nervously, and then he continued.

"My first was my high school girlfriend, Ginger. We were together for two and a half years. She broke up with me when we left for college, just after we'd had sex for the first time. She said she wanted to lose it to someone she trusted, but that she didn't want to do the long distance thing."

"Were you in love with her?" I asked.

"I cared for her, yes, but it wasn't love. We started dating when we were 16 and broke up at 19. Neither one of us knew what love was."

"Who was the second woman?" I asked.

"Felicia. I met her in college. She was in one of my business classes. We were both very like-minded and attracted to each other. It was my only purely sexual relationship. I mean, we were together as in not seeing anyone else, but there weren't any deep feelings there. We used each other for stress relief."

"You don't regret that?"

"Of course not. We were safe, and we both knew what the relationship was. She had no illusions of flowers or long-term commitments, and I was the same. We ended it when the semester was over, and I hardly saw her after that. She found someone new to relieve her stress, and I didn't."

"I can't imagine having sex without feelings," I confessed, and then blushed.

"And that's what makes you so special," he said with a smile. "Not many girls are like you these days."

I smiled back before directing the attention away from me.

"So who was next?"

"There was no one again until my final year of college. I met Sophia and instantly liked her. She was a lot like me, but not in the aggressive way Felicia was. We dated for a few months before taking our relationship to the next level, and we were together for almost three years."

"What happened?"

"I wanted to open this bar, and she got a job offer in another state. She asked me to move there with her, and I refused. I wasn't in love with her, and if I moved to another state just to be with her I knew she'd expect things of me. Things I never saw myself giving her."

"So she left without you?"

"Yes. But, it turned out to be a good thing. She met a man just after she moved and they hit it off. They're now married with two kids."

"Wow. And you're not upset?"

He shrugged. "No. Like I said, I wasn't in love with her, but it's okay because she found her love. If I had followed her, she still would have met him, and then it would have caused tension between us, and that never leads to anything good. If anything, it would have made me cynical."

I nodded. "So who came next?"

"Nobody," he said.

"Are you serious?" I asked, my jaw hanging open.

"Yes. She was the last one. I haven't had a girlfriend in about three years now."

"But you said you prefer to be in a relationship for sex."

"Right," he agreed.

"So you haven't had sex in three years?"

"It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?! Bill couldn't go a week without sex," I blurted out before I could stop myself, and then I was suddenly tearing up.

Bill claimed he couldn't go a week without some kind of release, so when I was on my period he'd talk me into doing things for him. Sometimes he'd talk me into anal sex, but he wasn't exactly gentle about it and I never enjoyed it, so I would usually give him oral, cramps or not.

"Sookie, look at me," I heard him say. He placed his hands on my shoulders and said it again, softly. I looked him in the eyes, wiping away my tears. "Bill isn't a good guy. I know you don't want to hear that, and I don't expect you to wake up and stop caring for him, but he's just not a good guy. A real man will wait."

I nodded silently, and then burst into tears as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and rocked me back and forth.

"I think I'm just starting to realize how bad it really was," I confessed.

"Take all the time you need."

We both went to bed shortly after that, and the next morning Eric greeted me in the kitchen with waffles and fruit. He was wearing flannel pajama bottoms and a white shirt, and his hair was adorably messed up from his sleep.

"Morning," he said with a goofy grin.

"Morning. Breakfast smells delicious," I said as I helped myself to a cup of coffee. Eric made the best coffee.

He handed me a plate, and I filled it before sitting down at the table. Eric joined me a minute later, and we ate breakfast together. I had a stray thought that I'd never really enjoyed breakfast with Bill. He never cared much for breakfast food on top of not caring for coffee, and always ended up having a bowl of oatmeal instead of eggs.

After we finished eating and washing the dishes (I rinsed with one hand) Eric excused himself to shower. While he was getting ready I went ahead and took care of his plants. They were starting to droop and brown again. I was still doing it when he came out, clean, dressed, and smelling amazing.

Again, I had to mentally slap myself. Eric was my boss and my friend, and even if he did like me in that way, I wouldn't have a chance. I was damaged goods, and he would see that eventually.

"I see you couldn't help yourself," he teased as he sat down to put on his socks and shoes.

"If you'd water these regularly then I wouldn't have to," I teased back.

"Why water them when not doing it guarantees that I get to see you doing it?" he smirked at me.

I felt the heat in my cheeks and turned around to finish the last plant, hearing Eric chuckle behind me.

The trip to the doctor's office was short, and getting the cast off didn't take very long. I was itching my arm like crazy by the time we got back to the car, and Eric surprised me with a bottle of lotion.

"How did you…"

"Broke mine as a kid, remember? I know how horrible the itch is," he smiled.

"Thank you, Eric. And not just for the lotion. For helping me out after the accident, and for the pity money." He started to interrupt, but I continued before he could. "Don't try to dress it up with reasons involving plants; it was pity money. But it's okay, because most of all, you've been a friend to me. The best one I've ever had, and I can't thank you enough for that."

He looked at me for a moment, and then simply said, "You're welcome."

It was almost like he wanted to say something other than that, but changed his mind. I didn't question him on it though. He started driving, and I started slathering lotion onto my arm. Instead of taking me home, he took me out to a celebratory Sookie-got-her-cast-off lunch. Of course, since it was a celebration he insisted on paying, but I was learning to accept that when it came to Eric.

I told him at lunch that I was ready to go back to work, and he told me that I could come back the next night. After that he took me home where I did some much-needed cleaning. Some cleaning just can't be done with one good arm.

Just as I was sitting down to prop my feet up and watch a little television, there was a knock on the door. I hopped up to answer it and my breath caught in my throat when I pulled open the door.

Standing in front of me with a small, sheepish smile, and a bouquet of my favorite flowers, was Bill.

* * *

**A/N:**

First of all, I am very, very sorry this took so long to update. I hope you can understand that this story is very hard for me to write, and I kind of took the happy road for a while to finish a couple other stories before coming back to this. I'm now down to 3 ongoing stories at once, this one and one other are completely outlined, so as long as I sit my butt down and write, updates should come more often. I'll be working on this _much_ more often.

Thank you to my two beta's for this story, SMeadows, and FarDareisMai2. You two do wonders for keeping the tone of this story on the right track, and you're amazing punctuation police :)

HUGE thank you to anyone who stuck with me and continues to read this story! I really can't wait to see what you thought of it. As for that ending... the next chapter will be titled: Falling Back

*hides*


	6. Falling Back

**Chapter 6 - "Falling Back"**

I was feeling really great about my friendship with Sookie. She admitted that things had been bad between her and Bill, and I got the feeling that she might finally be ready to start moving on. Not only was I glad that she would hopefully be getting over Bill and begin to be happy again, I was also feeling content about what that meant for her and I. I really wanted to ask her out on a date, but timing was crucial.

I was looking forward to the night she was set to return to work. I hoped it would allow her to really throw herself back into something, and help her forget about Bill.

She arrived about five minutes early, and immediately sought me out in my office.

"Hey, can we talk before the shift starts?" she asked.

"Of course. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just need to tell you something," she smiled. Anticipation grew inside me. I was about to tell her to go on when Pam stepped into the room.

"Eric, all the waitresses for the night shift are here now, we really need to brief them before business picks up," she said.

"Oh, right. Sookie, can this wait a bit?" I asked regretfully.

"Yeah, sure. What's the meeting about?"

"Let's go join the others and you'll find out," I smiled and led her out of the office and down to the employee break room where all the night shift waitresses were gathered. Sookie took a seat, and Pam and I stood in front of them.

"Some of you know that last week after we closed, a woman was attacked in the back alley. This is the first time something like this has happened, and to prevent it from happening again we are having security lights and a camera installed. I want to apologize to all of you for not having had this done long ago. You should be able to feel safe here.

"The lights won't be put up until next week, so until then if you have to take garbage out, go with someone. One of you needs to stand at the door and if anyone comes down that alley, you come get me, or the bartender, or the bouncer, and then you call 911. If you have to take a phone call on your cell, take someone with you. If you take a break to smoke, bring someone with you. I don't want anyone out in that alley alone. Everyone got it?"

All the girls nodded and got up to head out to start working. A couple stayed behind to speak with me about the security light, but it was obvious they were flirting. It happened more often than it should, and I did nothing to encourage them. Sookie stayed behind as well, hoping to get a change to talk to me, but by the time the other two were done she was needed out front.

I promised her we'd talk before she left, and went to my office to get some paperwork done. Pam came in about an hour later, and I realized I still hadn't gotten any work done because I was too anxious about whatever Sookie needed to tell me.

"I think you need to go out to the bar," she said cautiously.

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"Possibly."

"Fine, I'm not getting anything done in here, anyway."

Pam simply stepped aside as I walked past her, and I became a little concerned at her behavior. She was being too quiet, and when I entered the bar area, I saw why.

Bill Compton was seated in a booth with one of his sleazy friends, talking to Sookie. They were smiling, and laughing, and just all around looking happy. I knew then that Sookie had wanted to tell me that she and Bill had gotten back together.

I'm not sure how long I stood there, just staring at them. That abusive asshole was making her smile, and it made me want to kill him. Sookie glanced around the room to check her tables when she spotted me. For a split second she looked ashamed, and then she turned back to Bill and said something. He nodded and kissed her hand, which made her blush and smile, and then she walked up to me.

"Can we talk real quick?" she asked.

I nodded and gestured for her to head towards the back. She stopped in the hall in front of my office to wait for me to give her permission to go in. She was the only employee I had that really respected the space as my own. I opened the door and asked her to go in, but I didn't shut it. I never shut it if I had a female employee with me.

"I take it he is what you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked as I sat on the front edge of my desk. She stood in front of me, head down, picking at her nails nervously. "What happened?" She still wouldn't look at me. I finally realized that she knew I was upset, and she thought I was mad at her. I wasn't. I was mad at him.

I walked over to her, and gently led her to the couch to have her sit, and then I turned one of the chairs in front of my desk around and sat in it.

"Sookie, look at me," I said gently. She did, and I saw that she was almost in tears. "Just tell me what happened."

"He came to my house last night with flowers and an apology," she said. I waited for her to continue. "He didn't ask for me to take him back, if that's what you think. He's truly sorry for the way he acted and the things he did. He changed, I can tell."

"You don't think you're just seeing what he wants you to see?"

"What does that mean?" she asked, on the defensive already.

"Don't you find it convenient that he was gone the entire time you were healing from injuries _he_ caused?"

"I don't like where you're going with this, Eric." She stood, placed her hands on her hips.

I sighed and dropped my head. All the progress she'd made, every last bit of it, was gone in one night. What I did next was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

"Are you happy, Sookie?" I asked, my head still down.

"What?"

I stood up and repeated my question.

"Yes, I am," she answered after a moment's hesitation.

"Then I'll support you."

She looked shocked.

"I'm not happy about you being with him again, I won't lie. I think he's manipulative and abusive, and if he ever hurts you, I will personally hurt him back. But I did see you out there, smiling. If you say you're happy, then I'll do the right thing and support you. I don't want to lose you as a friend."

She stared at me for a moment, and then launched herself into my arms.

"Thank you, Eric," she said into my chest. "I needed someone to support me. Amelia's not even speaking to me right now."

"I meant what I said, though," I told her as she let go and took a step back. "If he hurts you, I won't hesitate before putting him in the hospital."

Her eyes grew wide, and I suddenly had a pang of fear that I'd given myself away. I never wanted her to see that side of me.

"I'm gonna get back to work," she said, and quickly turned on her heel and left.

I calmly shut the door behind her, and just as calmly walked back to my desk. I picked up the closest thing to me, which happened to be my stapler, and with an angry growl, I threw it against the wall.

SPOV

A few days after Bill and I got back together he came over for dinner and a movie. Bill had never been all that interested in doing things like that, so I was more than happy with my decision to be with him again.

He rubbed my feet while we watched the movie, and complimented me on the meal I'd made more than once. He was reminding me of the Bill I knew when we first started dating. It was then and there that I decided to ask him to stay the night.

"Bill?"

"Yes?"

"Will you stay tonight?" I asked.

"Darling, I love you, but I want you to be sure," he said, sincerity in his eyes.

"I am sure," I said, and then I kissed him. He kissed me back, and picked me up off the couch. "Right now?" I giggled.

"It's been too long," he growled, and though him saying that after being so sweet should have alarmed me, it didn't. I was excited.

We spent the rest of the evening in bed, and the entirety of the next day. Bill was in top form, and I had many more pleasures than I was used to. The next day was a Sunday, and I wanted to go to church, but Bill insisted we make up for lost time. When I tried to make us breakfast, he complained that I didn't have any oatmeal, so I went to the store to pick some up. I wasn't bothered by it; I shouldn't have thrown it away when we broke up.

Eric continued to support me, and after a few days even Amelia came around. When I'd arrive at work, Eric would ask how I was, and I'd make a point to let him know that I was fine and happy. He would smile and nod, and I'd get to work.

Bill started hanging out at the bar more often while I worked, and I tried to ignore the way he kept an eye on me, especially when Eric was around.

On Friday we were really busy, and Bill was sitting in a booth with his friends, ordering food and refills for everyone. I hoped he didn't think he could stiff me on a tip again just because he was dating me.

I went to the bathroom to take a small breather, and my phone rang. I didn't get good signal in the building, but I saw that it was Jason calling, and he didn't call anymore unless it was important. Deciding to call him back right away, I went to ask Bill to come out to the alley with me.

"Sookie, I'm with my friends here. You can make a phone call by yourself," he said, slightly annoyed.

"We're not supposed to go out there alone," I said.

"Then get a waitress to go with you," he said and turned back to his friends.

I looked around, and knew none of the other waitresses would be able to take a break. The bartenders were busy, and both the bouncers were on duty. Eric was nowhere to be seen, so I couldn't ask him. I decided to just go by myself. Nobody had had any issues with prowlers in the alley since that poor woman was attacked, and I'd just be out there for five minutes.

I walked out into the cooler air of the alley and pulled out my phone. I had a weak signal by the door, so I walked around a bit until I got a better one, and then called Jason. He answered right away, and said that his friend's mother was selling her old car, and it was in good condition. He was thinking about buying it and wanted to know if I was interested in having it. I was touched. Jason had been trying to make things up to me since Gran died.

"Why don't you come over in a couple days and I'll make you lunch. We'll talk then."

He agreed to that, and we ended the call. With a smile, I turned to head back inside, but that smile quickly dropped when I saw a man come at me fast. I made a quick move for the door, flipping my phone open so I could dial for help if I didn't make it there, but the man was faster. He knocked me into the wall, and I dropped the phone.

"You scream, and it'll be worse," he growled into my ear.

I screamed. There was no way he was going to do this to me without a fight. No way in hell. He slapped me across the face, and I continued to scream, kick, hit, bite… anything to keep him from doing what he wanted. I only hoped someone would notice that I was missing soon.

EPOV

I was stuck in my office doing paperwork most of the night, but when I began to get a headache I decided to do a round in the bar to check on things. The first thing I noticed was that Bill was there again with his asshole friends. The second thing I noticed was that Sookie was nowhere to be seen. I made a round, keeping my eyes peeled for her, but never spotted her, so I asked Bill where she was.

"Oh she had to go out back to make a phone call," he said dismissively.

"Did someone go with her?" I asked, alarmed. The rest of the employees were accounted for.

"No, she asked me but I'm busy. I told her to take a waitress," he said, becoming more and more annoyed with me.

"How long has she been gone?"

"I don't know."

"You son of a bitch," I said, but didn't stay to hit him like I wanted to. I pushed my way through the crowd and ran down the back hall. Her screaming barely penetrated the walls of the back hall, and I only heard them just before I opened the door.

All I could see was red when I stepped into the alley. A man had Sookie pinned against the wall, and while she was screaming her head off and fighting back with all her strength, he was still getting the upper hand. I caught sight of him reaching for the button of her shorts, and that was all it took to send me into a murderous rage.

I grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him to the ground before giving him a good kick in the ribs. My fist clenched as the memories flooded back to me, and I straddled his torso as I punched him repeatedly. My hand was coming back bloodier every time I raised it, but that did nothing but satisfy me.

I kept hitting him until I felt Sookie's hand grab my wrist just as I was about to deliver another blow.

"Eric, that's enough," she said firmly, but with a slight break in her voice at the end.

Stilling myself, I took a few deep breaths.

"Eric," Sookie urged. I could hear that she was about to cry.

All of my rage suddenly shifted to concern, and I stood up to check her over.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She nodded and began to cry, but there was still fear in her eyes. I wasn't sure if it was residual fear of the attacker, or fear of me. I reached out and pulled her into a hug, thankful that she didn't hesitate.

"It's okay," I repeated over and over, consumed with the need to comfort her that I wasn't thinking about what had just happened. I could have killed a man. If Sookie hadn't said anything, I might have. I glanced down at Sookie's head resting against my chest and saw that her hair was streaked with blood from my hand. The blood of her attacker.

"Fuck!" I yelled without thinking, and Sookie jumped. "Shit, I'm sorry. I got blood in your hair. He's out cold, so let's go inside and call the cops, okay?"

She nodded again, and let me lead her into the building. Pam came out of her office as we were walking into mine and stopped.

"What happened?" she asked urgently.

"Stay with her, I need to call the cops," I said.

Pam nodded and sat with Sookie on the couch, gently asking her if she needed anything while checking her over.

I went to Pam's office to call the police so I wouldn't upset Sookie more, and then I checked outside to see if the attacker was still knocked out. He was gone. There was a small pool of blood on the ground, but the man was nowhere to be found. I've never been more angry with myself. I should have used my phone to call Pam out to get Sookie, and then called the cops while keeping an eye on the guy. I suppose that shit about hindsight really is true, especially in a situation as fucked as this.

I turned to go back inside, but something shiny on the ground caught my eye. I picked it up and discovered that it was Sookie's cell phone. Since I hit a button while picking it up, I saw that she was attempting to call me when it was dropped. Why me? Wouldn't she have called Bill? Perhaps she knew that Bill wouldn't likely hear his phone in the bar. I didn't understand why I was even questioning it, because it didn't matter. It was likely she just hit a number while frantic. That thought made me go back inside to check on Sookie.

As I walked up the hall to my office, I saw Bill walk into it and my anger was renewed once more. If he had just gone with her, she never would have been attacked. I stepped into the office, ready to lay into Bill, but what I saw made me stop.

He sat next to Sookie on the couch where she was crying into her hands, and he gently rubbed her back. She stiffened for a moment, and then sat up and looked at him silently for a moment.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, and she burst into tears once more as she wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"I couldn't stop thinking of him, Bill. Now I can't get him out of my head," she cried. I had no idea what she was talking about.

"It's okay. Bartlett's gone, and he's never going to hurt you again," he said with more compassion than I thought him capable of.

Sookie didn't say anything else, and I was dying to know who the fuck Bartlett was, and what he'd done to hurt her.

"Who's Bartlett?" Pam asked. I wanted to kiss her and strangle her at the same time. Pam really needed a filter for sensitive situations.

Bill glared at her. "That's none of your damn business."

"Bill," Sookie said sternly, and pulled away from him slightly, keeping one arm around his waist. She looked up at me for a brief moment, and then looked at Pam. "Bartlett was…"

"Don't tell them, Sookie," Bill said. "They have no right to know."

She pulled away from him completely. "They have just as much a right as you, and I think I need to tell someone else. I can't keep this between us anymore. For goodness sake, Jason doesn't even know, and he's got as much right as anyone!"

Her voice had become more and more steady as she spoke, and I felt my pride for her grow. It was nice to see her stand up to Bill. She turned back to Pam again.

"Bartlett was my uncle. For a few years, while I was young, he…" she paused, mustering up the courage, though I think we all knew what she was about to say. "He molested me. At family get-togethers, sometimes he'd just show up at the house and offer to babysit so Gran could get some errands done without us kids. He would let Jason run off and do as he pleased, and make me stay inside with him. My Gran came home early once, and he didn't hear her in time. She caught him in my room with me and went berserk. She even grabbed her shotgun at one point. Gran couldn't afford counseling, so she did the best she could herself. I've known from then on that it wasn't my fault, but that doesn't mean I'm not… damaged."

"Damaged?" I asked, with probably a bit more anger than I should have. I remembered the photos of her in her albums. She'd looked so withdrawn in many of them, and now I knew why. "Who in the hell told you that you were damaged because of something you couldn't control?"

I got my answer when her eyes involuntarily flicked to Bill, and I wanted to kill him for probably the tenth time since I'd met him. That's what she had been talking about when I helped her after the accident. She'd called herself "damaged goods" and said that no one would want her.

I sat on my knees in front of her, and took her hands in mine, ignoring the fact that Bill's hands clenched into fists at the sight.

"You are not damaged. Not one bit. Something really horrible happened to you, but you didn't let it consume you. You are so much stronger than you think, Sookie."

"That's enough," Bill said in anger. He actually had the audacity to tell me to stop encouraging the woman he supposedly loved.

Just as I was about to reply, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Eric, the cops are here," Clancy, one of my bouncers, said through the door.

I offered Sookie a small smile, and kissed her forehead as I stood up. Bill wouldn't like that, but I just didn't give a damn.

"Stay here with them," I whispered to Pam on my way out.

The first thing the police officer said when I greeted him was, "Sorry we're late, there's a lot going on tonight."

Fortunately for him I had hit my rage quota for the night, and couldn't justify hitting a cop.

"The attacker got away," I told him, and then led him and his partner to the alley. I showed them the blood, and summed up my version of the events. They asked to speak with Sookie, so I took them to my office.

We both chose to write up statements while everything was fresh in our minds, and then Sookie asked to go home.

"Take a few days off, okay Sook?" I told her as she stood up. "No arguing, you need to rest up. By the time you get back we'll have those lights and camera installed if I have to do it myself."

She nodded, and then Bill pulled her out the door.

"You okay?" Pam asked.

"I'll be fine," I said, offering her a reassuring smile. Everything that had happened was going to take me a while to process.

"Come on, let's clean up your hand," she said, and led me to the bathroom.

-----

I didn't hear a peep out of Sookie for the next three days. I wanted to call her so many times, but every time I started to I'd remember that look of fear in her eyes and stop. Pam told me I was being ridiculous, but she knew damn well why it was an issue for me.

I knew I'd have to call her to find out when she was ready to come back to work, but I relegated that task to Pam. She reported that Sookie would be coming back the next night, and I found myself worried about seeing her. Again, Pam called me out, but I chose to ignore her.

I stayed late that night working on payroll and scheduling, so the parking lot was empty when I locked up and left. I was so consumed with my thoughts and worrying about Sookie that I didn't hear the baseball bat swing through the air.

* * *

**A/N:**

First of all, don't kill me! Eric is totally fine, I promise! I'm actually almost done with the next chapter, so hopefully it won't be long before I'm able to update again. HUGE Thank you to everyone who's still reading this after my massive update fail. I'm really feeling the story again after repeated viewings of the video it's based on. If you haven't watched that, please do! The link is in my profile near the bottom :)

Thank you to Meads for beta'ing this for me! You rock sweetie!

I wanted to recommend this awesome new story by CassandraMello. It's called A Fate Worse Than Death, and it's so, so unique! Please read and send her some love: http://www . fanfiction . net/s/5842011/1/A_Fate_Worse_Than_Death [remove spaces]


	7. The Beatles Lied

**Chapter 7 - The Beatles Lied**

I used the few days I didn't have to work to try and process everything that had happened. My life had obviously gone through some very drastic changes. First I'd gotten back together with Bill, and just a few nights later I was attacked and nearly raped in the alley behind the bar. I watched Eric let anger consume him, and it was a very scary sight. I knew he would never hurt me, but there was something he wasn't telling me. Nobody just exploded like that.

I was also dealing with the emotional fallout from telling Pam and Eric about my Uncle Bartlett. I still don't know why I said it, but something in me just needed to get it out, needed more than just Bill to know. I didn't regret telling them, and it did feel like a weight was lifted from my heart, but I couldn't stop replaying Eric's reaction to me calling myself damaged. Bill had never once let me believe I was anything but damaged. He made me think I was lucky that anyone would have me.

Bill and I got into a huge fight when he brought me home that night.

"I'm going to ask you something, and I'm only going to ask you once," he began.

"What?"

"Did you fuck Eric while we were broken up?"

"Are you kidding me right now?" This was the last thing I needed.

"Just answer the question," he spat at me.

"No! I did not sleep with him!" I yelled, and then I burst into tears. Bill stared at me for a moment before taking a deep breath and pulling me into his arms.

"It's okay," he soothed me. "Shhh… It's okay."

"Why would you ask me that?"

"Because of the way you allowed him to behave. He touched you, and he kissed your forehead. My jealousy got the better of me sweetie."

I chalked up Bill's attitude to the chaotic night, and after that one blow up, he went back to being sweet again. Pam called me a couple of days later to ask when I wanted to come back to work, and I found myself surprised and disappointed that it wasn't Eric calling. I promised to come back the next night.

When I got to work, all the waitresses were talking in the break room like normal, but this time they all seemed concerned about something. I had to jump in when I heard Eric's name.

"What happened to Eric?" I asked.

"He got jumped last night on his way to his car," Arlene told me.

"Is he okay?" I asked urgently.

"We don't know. He's alive, but all we know is that Clancy came back because he left his wallet here and caught two guys beating Eric. They took off and he called the cops."

My breathing hitched when she explained what happened, and I took off to find Pam. She was in her office when I burst in without knocking.

"Sookie," she said in an uninterested tone, as though she was expecting me to do this. I didn't understand how she could be calm, but I took it as a sign that Eric was okay. That he wouldn't be permanently injured because of my stupidity.

"Is Eric okay?" I asked.

She looked up at me from her paperwork.

"He's fine. They didn't have him down very long before Clancy came along. He went to the hospital for a few hours, made a statement to the cops, and now he's at home sleeping it off on painkillers."

"This is all my fault," I said, collapsing into the chair in front of her desk.

"No, it's not," she said simply. "Why don't you go see him when your shift ends? I'm sure he'd like to see that you're okay."

"You don't think he'd mind?"

"Of course not. In fact, I was looking over the schedule and I noticed that he accidentally scheduled an extra waitress tonight. I was trying to decide who to cut, but why don't you just go on over there now?"

"I need the money, Pam," I protested, but we both knew that I wanted to see if Eric was okay with my own eyes.

"Just make sure you water his plants while you're there," she grinned, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks, Pam," I said quickly, and then quickly left her office.

I was nervous the entire drive to Eric's house, and it took me a few minutes to work up the courage to get out of the car and walk up to the door. I took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell and anxiously waited for him to answer. Just as I was about to ring again, the door creaked open, and I gasped.

Eric was only wearing a pair of flannel drawstring pants, and I could see his injuries clearly. His ribs were loosely wrapped, most likely from him trying to do it alone, he had a cut on his right cheek, and his left eye was bruised. His left forearm had a large bruise on it, and his knuckles were scraped up.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" He was attempting a smirk, but I couldn't be amused. This was my fault. My eyes began to water, and as if he could read my mind, Eric said, "Oh, come on now, Sookie. This isn't your fault."

"Yes it is. If I had just gotten someone to go with me, this never would have happened."

"And if I had just held my temper and called the cops right away it also never would have happened. Don't blame yourself; it won't do either of us any good. Now come on in, my plants need to be watered."

I laughed. There was no stopping it. I began to walk inside, but he stopped me and put his hands on my face, brushing my tears away with his thumbs.

"I'm really okay, I promise," he said, and I couldn't help but notice the emotion in his eyes when he said it.

"Okay," I said, and then continued on into the house. "Have you had supper yet?"

"No," he called after me.

"Go sit down in the living room, and I'll fix you something."

"You don't have to do that, Sook."

"You listen here, Eric Northman. When I was in that car accident you took care of me out of the goodness of your heart. You didn't have to do that either, but you did, and that accident wasn't even your fault. This? Whether you want me to or not, I feel guilty about this, and that alone is enough to make me care for you until you get better. So be quiet, go sit in the living room, watch a movie, and let me take care of you."

Wow. I had no idea where that had come from, but it felt good. Eric looked just as shocked as I felt, and then he smiled, nodded, and went into the living room.

I rummaged through his fridge, but didn't find many supper-like foods. I had expected that, but luckily he always had sandwich fixings, so that's what I made. I set up a tray with two sandwiches, two glasses of tea, and grabbed a bag of baked potato chips before making my way to the living room with it.

He sat up a bit on the couch when I came in, wincing as he moved.

"Do you have any pain pills that you need to take?"

"Yeah, they're in my bathroom," he said, and started to get up.

"Oh no, sit down. Start eating, I'll go get the pills."

He did as he was told, and I went into his bathroom to retrieve his pills. There was one bottle on the sink and I checked to see how many he needed before taking them out and putting the pill bottle back in its spot.

"Here you go," I said, handing him the pills as I sat next to him.

"Thanks," he smiled, and popped them into his mouth, washing them down with a gulp of tea. "This sandwich is great."

I giggled. "It's just a sandwich."

"Sandwiches can be great."

"If you say so."

"So, how did you end up here tonight? Weren't you supposed to work?" he asked curiously.

"I was, but when I got there everyone was talking about what happened to you, and I went to Pam to find out more. She sent me here so I could see with my own eyes that you were fine."

"I should have called you."

"And said what? There's no way you could have put that without making me feel like it was my fault. It's okay."

He nodded and took another bite of his sandwich.

"Can I ask what happened, or do you not want to talk about it?" I asked gently.

"I was walking to my car after locking the bar up, and two guys came out of nowhere. One of them had a baseball bat, which he used to make me hunch over, and the other guy got me in the eye. I managed to get a couple good punches in before they knocked me to the ground, and then Clancy pulled in. They took off, we called the cops and I went to the hospital. I'm fine. Just a few bruised ribs and all the superficial stuff you see."

"I'm so sorry," I said.

"Quit apologizing. I'm fine," he said with a smile, and opened the bag of chips. I grinned at him as he pulled a handful out and stuck them onto the remainder of his sandwich, before squishing down the top and taking another big bite. "What?" he asked when he caught me staring.

"Nothing," I laughed, and did the exact same thing. I always ate my sandwiches with chips crushed inside.

Eric grinned back at me, and we ate our crunchy sandwiches in a peaceful harmony while watching television. When we both finished I took the tray back into the kitchen and rinsed everything off. I figured I'd do up the dishes before I left, and wondered if he'd think I was weird if I came back early to make him breakfast.

I went back to the living room as Eric was standing up, and I figured the pain meds were working because he wasn't wincing anymore.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Better," he said, and began pulling at the ace bandage wrapped around his torso.

"Come on," I said, pulling him to his bedroom by the hand. "Let me help you with that."

"You don't have to."

"I know, but you helped me, and it's not like you have more parts to cover than me so I'm sure it'll be less embarrassing."

I led him to his bedroom, and made him stand next to the bed while I went to his dresser.

"Which drawer are the shirts in?" I asked.

"Top right, but I wasn't going to wear one."

"You're going to want to, or it'll come loose faster," I said as I pulled out a plain gray shirt and tossed it on the bed. "Arms up."

He did as I asked, lifting his arms from his sides so I could unwrap the bandage from his ribs. I rolled the bandage up and put the clasps in my mouth. I started to rewrap on his good side, and tightly brought the bandage around his torso.

"Too tight?" I asked, the question muffled around the clasps between my lips.

"No, it's fine," he replied, so I continued on until he was all bandaged up again.

"There you go," I said. "All better."

"My eye hurts worse than anything right now."

"I'm so sor…"

"Nope," he cut me off. "If you apologize again for something that's not your fault then you're not getting paid to water my plants."

I snorted. "I love you," I said, and then my heart stopped. Had I really just said that? Had I meant it?

"What?" he asked, sounding a lot like he hadn't taken a breath.

"I love you," I repeated without hesitation.

He stared at me, blinked a few times, and took a deep breath. Then his lips were pressed firmly against mine, his hands wrapping around me as mine rested on his broad shoulders.

All thoughts about anything else flew out of my head as he kissed me. There was only Eric and me, and the love I felt in that room. I didn't even care if he loved me back; I wanted him.

**EPOV**

She said she loved me.

I thought I was dreaming. Sookie Stackhouse said she loved me. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was real, and after she said it the second time I knew I had to have her. I had to show her that I felt the same, and when I kissed her it was like the earth stopped turning, only to begin turning again around us.

I forgot everything else; my injuries, all the messed-up stuff about her relationship with Bill, my past… all things that should have been at the front of my mind no longer mattered. It was just Sookie and I, and that's the way I always wanted it.

She parted her lips, inviting me to slip my tongue into her mouth. As our kiss deepened, I pressed her more firmly against my body, thankful that the pain medication was working.

Even though I was more than ready to take the next step, I waited for Sookie to make the first move. I needed to let her choose this. She didn't disappoint when, a few seconds later, I felt her fingers pulling at the drawstrings on my pants. As she untied them, I pulled on the hem of her shirt and she raised her arms so I could take it off of her.

When I saw her standing there, in only her shorts and bra, I felt like the luckiest man on earth. She was beautiful, a slight blush creeping into her cheeks. My hands went to her waist again, bringing her back to my body as I kissed her, fingers itching to unclasp her bra. Just as I was about to do it, she took in a sharp breath and pulled away.

"What is it?" I asked, breathing heavily, and hoping she wasn't about to nip this in the bud.

"The clasp on your bandage scratched me," she said.

"Oh. I'll take it off," I said, and began to unwrap my torso.

"No, I don't want you to hurt yourself even more," she protested, placing a stilling hand on mine.

"It's okay, I don't care," I insisted, unwrapping them completely and dropping the bandage to the floor.

I kissed her again, ignoring the slight ache in my side. She moaned into my mouth, and that was enough for me to finally rid her of her bra. A small groan escaped my mouth when I finally saw her perfect, round, firm breasts. I had been telling the truth long ago when I promised her that I didn't remember what she looked like naked.

She stared into my eyes as I felt her fingers at the waist of my loosened pants, and a small smile came across her lips.

"What?" I asked.

"No underwear?"

"I didn't want to bother, it was hard enough getting these on."

She grinned, leaning forward to place a kiss on my chest as her hands pushed the fabric of my pants past my hips. The flannel pooled at my feet, but Sookie still didn't look down. Her blush actually grew deeper and she buried her face in my chest. I smiled down at her beautiful blonde head, and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her to me for a moment.

I placed a kiss on the top of her head and then I felt her hands drop to her waist to unbutton her shorts.

"May I?" I asked, softly.

She nodded her acceptance and her hands came up to rest on my shoulders as my hands took their place at her waistband. My fingers popped open the button, and slowly slid the zipper down. They came back up to run underneath the top of her silky panties. I took a steadying breath, and then pushed the clothing down over her hips and butt until it fell to her feet. Our breathing became irregular as we both realized that we were standing in front of one another, naked.

Again, I waited for Sookie to initiate. She didn't disappoint when a moment later she pulled my head down to hers for a kiss. In no time at all she had her tongue in my mouth, and began to pull me towards the bed. I followed willingly, and soon I was on top of her, kissing her beautiful mouth, neck, and breasts like I'd only ever fantasized about before.

"Eric," she moaned breathily when I nipped at the sensitive skin where her neck and shoulder met. Her hand reached down between us and wrapped around my erection, then slowly began to stroke.

I placed a stilling hand on hers, "Sweetie, I'm not going to last long as it is. Let me make sure you get something out of this."

She removed her hand and brought it up to my neck, pulling me down for a heated kiss.

I took that to mean she was ready for more, and slowly began to move my kisses down her body until I was resting between her thighs. I felt her heat as I spread her open with my thumbs, and groaned when I tasted her. She was divine. The deep, throaty noises coming from her spurred me on. All I wanted was to please her, to hear her scream my name when she came.

Above me I heard her breathing pick up speed, so I doubled down in my efforts and slid two fingers into her, curling them until she began to pulse.

"Oh god!" she screamed, fisting her fingers in my hair as she came.

I continued to lick her gently until her grip loosened, and then I moved back up her body to kiss her lips again.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"You don't have to thank me."

The look on her face told me that the idea of not thanking someone for an orgasm seemed very strange to her, but I overlooked it and kissed her.

"Eric," she whimpered when she felt me rub against her center.

I reached down between us and positioned myself while looking in to her eyes for any sign of apprehension. When I didn't find any, I began to slowly push forward. Her eyes stayed locked on mine as I continued to gradually work myself into her. She felt better than I ever could have imagined, and I savored every second of it.

When I was fully inside of her I stilled, once more waiting for her to allow us to continue. I could see the love and lust she had for me in her eyes, causing my heart to swell. She began to move her hips slightly, urging me to move, so I did. I groaned, not only at the extreme pleasure I felt, but also at the pain in my side, which came back full force.

"Stop," she breathed, and I pulled out of her and moved to the end of the bed quickly. She gasped when I did, either from the loss of me, the suddenness, or both. "Come back up here and lean against the headboard."

"Did I hurt you?" I asked, worried.

"No, I hurt you. I want you to be comfortable, now get up here," she smiled, instantly calming my fears.

"You didn't hurt me, I think my pain meds are wearing off," I said while crawling up the bed and getting into position.

"You can take some more when we're finished," she said as she straddled me.

"Wait a second." I moved the pillow behind my lover back, and crossed my legs, tucking my feet under my thighs. "Wrap your legs around me," I instructed her as she positioned herself in my lap. When she wrapped her arms around my neck, I grasped myself and slowly slid into her again. We both groaned at the sensation when I was buried inside of her again.

I kissed her breasts and neck until she decided to move, and after a few moments she did. I placed my hands on her lower back and locked my gaze with hers as we worked out a fluid rocking motion in no time. I loved feeling her entire body wrapped around mine, and it was as though I would never be complete again unless I had her on me, around me, like this. We were perfectly synched in every way. When I pulled she pushed, I'd bite and she'd moan, we were even breathing in time with each other. It was, in a word, perfect.

My orgasm had been building since before I'd even entered her, and I was doing my best to hold back long enough so that she'd get something out of it too. She began to moan louder while her movements became more intense, and I responded in kind, adjusting my tempo to match hers. The increase in speed was about to push me over the edge, so I captured her lips with mine and moved my hand down between us. She was screaming into my mouth in seconds, and then broke away to cry out exactly what I wanted to hear; my name.

Hearing her, feeling her… it was the perfect way to push me over the edge. I grasped her hips and pulled her hard and tight against me, holding her there as I unloaded deep inside of her. Grunts and groans came from low in my throat while I continued to come with probably the best orgasm I'd ever had.

We stayed clenched together until our breathing became somewhat normal again, and then Sookie removed herself from my lap, and rolled to the side. I carefully got off the bed, and went into my bathroom to take a couple more pain pills. While I was in there, I wet down a washcloth and took it back to the bedroom with me.

"What's that for?" Sookie asked.

"I wanted to clean you up," I smiled at her, and she smiled warmly back as I did it. I tossed the rag into my laundry basket, and climbed back onto the bed. We lay facing each other, and I took her hand in mine before kissing it.

"I do love you, Sookie," I said when I realized that I hadn't said it back yet. She had to know.

Her eyes welled up and she grinned broadly. "I know. I can feel it. Is that crazy?" she asked, placing her other hand on my chest.

"No. I can feel it too. Is that cheesy?"

"No," she smiled.

We stared at each other in silence for long moments, studying the other's face and body, committing it to memory.

"You are perfect," I said as I ran my fingers down her side.

"I'm nowhere near perfect, but I can't say the same for you. Every last bit of you is perfect, even down to your bruises. If anything, they make you look more manly and rugged."

"I'm glad you think so, but I'm going to have to disagree with your first statement."

"Oh, just the first one?"

"Of course."

She giggled, and I found it to be one of the most beautiful sounds I'd ever heard.

"So why do you disagree with the first one?"

"Because you are perfect. And, I'm the luckiest man in the world."

"You certainly know how to make a girl blush," she said, and hid her face in the pillow.

"Hey," I said, coaxing her from hiding. She pulled her face from the pillow and smiled shyly at me. "I meant every word. You're perfect, and I love you."

"I love you too," she said, and then pulled me to her for a kiss that quickly turned heated. Before I knew it I was on top of her again, kissing her neck, and about to enter her so we could find our nirvana again.

But then something popped our bubble of happiness. It was the sound of a cell phone ringing from somewhere on the floor, and from the way Sookie instantly stiffened and looked scared to death, I could guess at who was calling.

"Oh god," she whispered, and then she was pushing me away from her.

"Sookie, wait a minute," I said, the gravity of the situation sitting heavy in the room.

She began frantically throwing on her clothes, and I could see that she was shaking. I got up and tried to put my hands on her shoulders to stop her, but she shrugged me off.

"I have to go. This was a mistake," she said. No other words could have hurt me more.

"Don't say that. This was not even close to a mistake."

"What makes this any different than what Bill did to me?"

"That we love each other," I answered without hesitation.

"So what? What if he and Lorena loved each other? It's no different, and I'm a horrible person because of it."

"And he's not? Why would you call yourself horrible and let him get off scot-free? You're nothing like him; we're nothing like them. Please don't go," I begged. I couldn't believe that I'd finally been intimate with a woman again, and one that I loved, and she was walking out. But this wasn't just any woman. This was Sookie, and she wasn't just walking out, she was going back to Bill.

"I have to. I can't… this… this can't happen again," she said, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. She turned and ran out of the room.

"Sookie! Wait, dammit!"

I went after her, and caught up to her in the living room where she was putting on her shoes.

"Don't leave like this. You're too upset. We can talk about this and figure something out."

"Figure what out?" she stood from the couch and faced me. "This can never work. I'm no better than cheating scum, and you would never be able to trust me."

"No," I said, "I could never _not_ trust you. You're not cheating scum…"

"Yes I am," she said, cutting me off. "I have to go. I should have been home an hour ago."

"Please stay," I begged one last time as calmly as I could.

Sookie stared at me for a moment, the tears finally spilling from her eyes. I thought for a second that she would fall into my arms and let me help her figure everything out, but she didn't. She blinked back the rest of her tears, and then turned around and walked out of my home, leaving me standing there, naked in my living room, and too heartbroken to stop her.

* * *

**A/N:**

I'm gonna go all after school special on you, so brace yourselves...

In an ideal situation, when these two had sex, Sookie would've had a blood test beforehand, and they would have used a condom. Unfortunately, this isn't the kind of situation where the proper precautions could have been taken. Before anyone starts giving me the third degree about safe sex and pregnancy risks, just know first that I know these things, and sometimes you just can't use safety in a story. Would anyone like to tell me why an Eric that hasn't done it in three years would have condoms? . . . That's what I thought, lol. Rest assured that I'm not going the knocked up route with this. Sookie's on birth control, and I'm only okay with telling everyone this because I'm not entirely sure it'll get discussed in coming chapters.

So, remember kiddies! Get tested before switching partners, and use condoms and birth control pills. There's no excuse for not being safe.

**Non PSA A/N:**

So they've done it, and Sookie thinks she's a pile of Bill-like cheating scum. Eric loves her, she loves him back, and they're both heartbroken. Needless to say, it'll be pretty angsty from here on out, and the happy isn't really going to come back until the end. So if you want to sit this out until it's complete, I understand, but I hope you'll stick with me. That said, this story probably only has about 4 or 5 chapters left, so we're not really far from the happy ending.

Thank you to Meads for editing this and giving me a big confidence boost when she sent it back *puggles* You rock honeybee!


	8. Fear and Loathing

**Chapter 8 – Fear and Loathing**

When I got far enough away from Eric's house that I knew I wasn't in danger of turning back, I pulled the car over and released the floodgate on my tears. My forehead dropped to the steering wheel as my body was wracked with sobs. I certainly knew how to fuck up my own life.

I didn't know what to do. There wasn't a doubt in my mind about loving Eric. He was by far the best man I'd ever met. When we had sex, it wasn't just sex. I thought I knew what making love was, but I didn't have a clue what making love really was until I'd been with Eric. He was so caring and attentive and just, perfect in every way. The thought of going back to Bill made me sick to my stomach.

My lungs expanded, trying to get me to gulp in oxygen, but even breathing hurt. Was this what real heartbreak felt like? What I felt when I broke up with Bill didn't compare to the pain I was feeling. That was like getting a paper cut, while leaving Eric felt like having an entire limb crushed slowly.

I felt my pocket vibrate, and then Bill's ringtone filled the small space inside my car. He would think something was up if I didn't answer, so I took a few deep breaths and pressed the phone to my ear.

"Hi Bill," I said, hoping I didn't sound like I had been crying.

"Where the hell are you? I went to your house so we could be together tonight, and you weren't back from work yet," he said, sounding annoyed and angry. "Be together" was Bill's way of saying he wanted sex. I couldn't do it. Not only was it wrong, but I was also afraid that he'd be able to tell I was with someone else.

"I'm sorry, I had to stay late at work. One of the girls closing had to leave early because of an emergency. It's okay anyway, I started my period," I lied.

"That doesn't mean you can't do something for me," he protested.

"I'm really not in the mood, Bill. I'm tired, and really crampy. I just want to take a hot bath and go to bed."

He sighed loudly and then said, "Fine, what about tomorrow night?"

"I have to work again and I'm not going to be up for anything. Why can't you just wait until it's over?"

"You want me to be unsatisfied? What kind of girlfriend are you?"

"The kind that's learning to say no when she's not in the mood! Goodnight, Bill," I yelled, and then slammed my phone shut as I burst into tears again.

Almost immediately, my phone rang again, but it wasn't Bill's ring tone. I looked at the caller id, and saw that it was Eric. I hit the button to silence the ringer, and waited for the call to end. Then I put my phone on silent. I didn't have the strength to listen to him. I'd go back.

I'm not entirely sure how long I was parked on the side of the road, but after my tears dried up, and I'd developed one of those crying headaches, I drove home. The first thing I did was fill the bathtub with water as hot as I could stand it. I stripped my clothes off, and put them right in the washer. They smelled like Eric's house, and I had to get rid of the smell.

After the tub was full, I sank into the water and tried to think. I needed to be logical. I needed to put my feelings aside. I cheated on Bill, and yes, he had done the same to me, but he learned from his mistake. Bill loved me, and I knew he deserved to hear the truth. I would have to tell him about what happened with Eric.

How was I supposed to deal with Eric? There was just no way we would ever be able to be together. The love I felt for him was very real, and all I wanted was to go to him and be with him, but I couldn't do it. Ever.

When I was young my parents were very loving towards one another. They were always kissing or touching, holding hands. It was obvious how much love there was between them. Then, one night shortly before they died, my mother took Jason and I to Gran's house to stay the night. She was crying and said she and Daddy needed to talk about an adult matter that didn't concern us. The next day they both picked us up, but they weren't touching anymore. They didn't ever kiss in front of us again, and even at my young age I knew my dad didn't love my mom anymore. He never looked at her the same again.

About a year later they died, and we went to live with Gran. That last year with them was hard on me. There was so much tension in the house, and I thought it was my fault. When I was about fifteen I talked to Gran about it, and she confessed that my mother had an affair, and that's what she told my father that night.

That was why I couldn't be with Eric. No matter how much he said we could work it out, I knew that deep down he would know that I'd cheated once. And, even though I hadn't cheated on him, I knew he wouldn't be able to fully trust me; that he'd always wonder when I would cheat on him too. The thought of Eric looking at me the way my father looked at my mother that last year… I just couldn't bear it.

With Bill it was different. He'd done the same thing to me, so he wouldn't look at me that way. We both made mistakes, and we could overcome them and be stronger. So that was that. I had to tell Bill what happened, and I had to make it clear to Eric that it was over.

The water had turned cold, so I got out of the tub and got ready for bed. I checked my cell phone before putting it on the charger and found that I had almost twenty missed calls from Eric, and ten voicemails. I wanted to listen to them, and then I wanted to delete them, but I couldn't bring myself to do either, so I pretended that they weren't there.

After I crawled into bed, the gravity of the night's events and my decisions hit me like a punch in the gut. I was suddenly too numb to cry.

**EPOV**

I didn't sleep at all that night. My phone was permanently attached to my hand because I kept calling Sookie, leaving her pathetic voicemails begging her to come back, or to at least talk to me. I hated how I was feeling—completely out of control and helpless. I hadn't felt that way since I was fifteen.

It was almost ten in the morning, and I wondered if Sookie was up. I wondered why the hell I didn't just drive to her house last night. I wondered why the hell she left like she did; why she thought we wouldn't be able to work it out.

Just as I was about to call her again, I heard a knock at my door. I almost tripped over my own feet as I rushed to answer it. Unfortunately, it was just Pam, so I just turned around to trudge back to my couch.

"Well, hello to you too. Where is your bandage for your ribs? And why isn't Sookie here? I figured you two would be cuddled up watching cartoons right now," Pam said drolly, plopping onto the couch next to me.

"Hello, Pam. My bandage is on the floor of my bedroom because that's where it landed after I took it off last night so that it wouldn't scratch Sookie as we made love. Sookie isn't here _because_ we made love, and that would be why we're not watching cartoons right now."

"So you're telling me that…"

"Yes, Sookie came over here last night, she blurted out that she loved me, we had the best sex I've ever had, and I'm pretty sure the same holds true for her, and then Bill called, and she freaked out and left. I haven't been able to get a hold of her since."

"Well, fuck," she said.

"Exactly," I agreed.

"She has to work tonight. Want me to kidnap her and drag her here?"

"No, I think I'll be going in tonight," I said, and stood up slowly.

"The hell you are. You need to stay and rest. Did you sleep at all last night?"

"No, I didn't. And I'm coming to work whether you like it or not. She's not going to answer my calls, and she won't expect me there tonight. It's my only shot."

"Fine, but I'm driving you," she said, ending with a sigh.

"Thanks, Pam."

"Don't thank me yet. There's still a lot about this night you'll probably regret."

Pam waited for me to shower, and wrapped my ribs for me before she helped me get dressed since I was so stiff from not resting. It was humiliating. Pam was a close friend, but I never wanted her to see me so helpless, especially since she was the only one who'd seen me helpless before.

She didn't talk about Sookie, or what happened, for the rest of the day. When we got to the bar, she filled me in on a few things, and left me to do my paperwork. I focused all my energy into work, desperately avoiding the aching pain in my chest, and hoping that Sookie would show up.

**SPOV**

I got to work the next day and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Eric's car wasn't there. A large part of me assumed he would come to work just to see me since I was ignoring his calls. After taking a deep breath and telling myself once again that I was doing what was best for both of us, I got out of my car and went inside.

The rest of the girls were chatting in the break room before the shift started, and I heard one say that Eric was in his office. I stilled, and thought about making a break for it. I wasn't ready to face him. At that moment, Eric himself walked in, forcing me to do what I wanted to get out of.

"Ladies, you've got customers. Get to work," he said sternly, his eyes never leaving mine.

They all filed out, and I attempted to go too, but Eric put his hand on my arm, stopping me.

"We need to talk," he said.

"I need to get to work," I replied, and walked out the door. He didn't stop me again.

At various times throughout the night I saw Eric pop up in the bar area, and I would busy myself until he disappeared again. Eventually, I had to go to the bathroom. That was my mistake. As soon as I came out of the stall, Pam cornered me.

"I think you and I need to go to my office and have a chat," she said coolly.

"I have tables to take care of," I said, and started washing my hands.

"I already asked one of the other girls to cover them."

"Pam!"

She simply raised a perfect eyebrow at me, as if challenging me to argue with her.

"Fine, let's go," I said, defeated.

Pam led me to her office and made me sit down in the chair in front of her desk. I was silent, and trying to figure out a way out of the entire mess.

"Okay, looks like I'll have to initiate this," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

"About what?" I asked, my voice quiet.

"Everything. Going back to that prick you call a boyfriend for starters."

"Leave him out of this."

"Let me tell you something Sookie, something not even Eric knows. I had a boyfriend just like Bill back in high school. He hid his douchebag ways from everyone, even me, until we had been going out for almost a year. Then he started the abuse. He tried to make me feel worthless, tried to get me to be dependent on him. Luckily for me, I had a strong childhood with great friends who he hadn't managed to separate me from. It didn't work. I kicked him in the nuts, and began dating women. Eric still thinks I have always been gay and just came out."

"What does any of that have to do with me and Bill?" I asked.

"Bill is that same type of douchebag, just in a cleverer package. Think about it, Sookie. How many close friends did you have before you started dating him?"

I did think about it. I had quite a few. Sam, Arlene, Tara, JB, Amelia…

"Now fast forward a couple of years into your relationship with him. How many now?"

Just Amelia.

"He ripped you from your friends and family. I'll bet you and your brother used to be close too."

I nodded absently.

"What Bill has done to you is abuse, and it's wrong. You need a wake up call. I was hoping that Eric would be that for you, but apparently it wasn't enough for you to see how a woman should be treated."

"What are you talking about? Are you saying that you and Eric planned this?" I asked, my panic rising.

"No, Jesus! Do you really think Eric would do that to you? No, I was talking about when I sent you to his house last night. I know what happened. He loves you, and you destroyed him when you walked away."

"You're being dramatic," I whispered.

"I don't think I'm being dramatic enough!"

She was getting angry now. Another person angry with me. Just fucking wonderful.

"I haven't seen him that helpless since he was fifteen years old. How _dare_ you put him back there again?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You knew how big of a deal it was for him to be with someone."

I stood up. "I know I'm the first person he's been with in three years, and I'm sorry for that. It shouldn't have happened. He deserves better."

"Wait a second," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "You think that's what I'm talking about?"

"What else would you be talking about?"

"That idiot never told you," she stated, and then grabbed my arm, pulling me out of her office.

"Pam, let go of me. I don't want to see him," I said, struggling to remove myself from her grip.

"There's something Eric needs to explain to you."

She pulled me down the hall and flung open Eric's door, dragging me inside with her. Eric jumped up when he saw me, and winced at the pain in his side.

"Pam! Let go of her! What are you doing?" Eric yelled at Pam as he came over to me.

"You are an idiot," Pam said to him. "She doesn't know? How could you sleep with her without telling her? I thought she'd known for a while."

Eric looked furious, and I sat on the couch feeling thoroughly confused.

"This isn't exactly the way I wanted her to find out, Pam," he growled at her.

"Well, too fucking bad! Tell her now," she growled right back and walked out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her.

I stood immediately. "You don't have to tell me anything. I'll just go back to work," I said, and tried to walk past him and out the door.

"Wait," he said, and I stopped. "Have a seat on the couch."

I did as he asked, and he turned a chair around and placed it in front of me before sitting in it.

"I really wanted to tell you about this before. I would have preferred you not to think I'm being forced to tell you, but Pam…"

"I understand."

"Please look at me," he requested, and reached for my hand. I let him take it as I finally looked him in the eyes. "Some bad things happened to me when I was a kid. Those things still affect me today. It's a big part of why I don't sleep around. I have to trust someone to be that vulnerable. I have to feel like I have some control."

I took in a deep breath, but didn't say anything. I felt like he just wanted to say it.

"It started when I was young, really young. My father would get on me for the smallest things, and smack me on the back of the head. But it was never a light hit. As I got older, it got worse. Pretty soon he was using his belt on me, and when I was about ten he put down the belt in favor of his fists." He paused and took a deep breath, and his voice seemed unsteady when he started again. "He was always careful about where my bruises would be. Never hit me in the face, unless it would heal before I had to go to school. If it didn't, I was forced to tell everyone that I had gotten into a fight with my cousin."

My eyes were slowly filling with tears, and I held his hand tighter as he continued.

"When he'd start in on me, my mother would go off to her room and wait until it was over. She never tried to stop him. She just acted like it wasn't happening. By the time I was fifteen, the attacks weren't as often, but they were all horrible. Remember that broken arm I told you about?"

I nodded, my eyes wide as I tried to keep the tears from falling.

"That was him."

I finally let the tears spill down my cheeks. What kind of parent hits their child? What kind of parent could actually break the bones of their child?

Eric continued as his thumb rubbed soothing circles on the back of my hand. "Shortly after that my father died in a car accident. He was drunk, and drove off a bridge. I never knew a person could be relieved about the death of a parent, but I was. My mother fell into a depression for a while, but I got better. I joined the football team, and started lifting weights. I swore I would never let anyone hurt me like he did again."

I continued to cry, and Eric moved from the chair to kneel in front of me.

"I should have told you this a long time ago, certainly before we… did what we did. I have issues. I have a hard time trusting women because of my mother, and when I feel out of control…" he paused, closing his eyes for a moment, as if he was trying to erase the memories. "I used to have anger issues too. I got into some fights in school and got suspended a couple of times. I've worked really hard not to be that way anymore."

"Eric… I…" I sobbed.

"Why are you crying, love?" he asked, wiping my tears away with his thumbs.

"This… this is why we can't be together," I said.

"Why?"

"You've been through so much. The people you should have been able to trust betrayed you in the worst way, for years. What I've been through doesn't even compare, and I let it happen. I don't deserve you, and I definitely don't deserve your trust."

I stood up, and Eric stood up too. He put his hands on my shoulders and made me look at him.

"You do deserve my trust. You think you don't deserve me? Sookie, I don't deserve someone as good as you," he said.

"As good as me? The cheater? The girl who screwed you, then went back to her boyfriend? You're only willing to overlook it now because you think you love me," I spat at him, hoping I was showing enough anger to convince him I meant it. "Just wait a few years, hell even a few months. You'll always be wondering if I'm off screwing someone else when I'm supposed to be home."

"No!" he said forcefully. "I trust you. You wouldn't do that to me. Just look at you last night. You felt guilty as soon as reality set in, and I'll bet you're planning on telling Bill. That's a hell of a lot better than the way he went about it when he cheated."

"Let go of me, Eric," I said, defeated. "It's over."

"No," he said immediately, and I tried to remove his hands. "No, no," he kept repeating. "It's not over. You can't give up. No."

"Stop," I pleaded. He was about to break down, and I couldn't deal with that kind of guilt. I already had enough. "Please, Eric," I cried. "This won't work. It will never work. Let me go."

He finally removed his hands from my arms, but grabbed my hand before I could bolt out of the room.

"If you give up now, are you going to regret it for the rest of your life?" he asked, and for the first time I saw his eyes become glassy with tears. None fell, but they were there.

"Yes," I whispered, and then I ran out the door.

* * *

**A/N:**

Not really sure what to say. I hope the reveal of Eric's past was done well in your eyes. Please don't be too angry with Sookie over this. Things have a way of working out.

****Thank you to Meads and FDM for beta'ing this for me, and for getting it back so quickly! You two are awesome, and very honest with me. I appreciate it more than you know :)


	9. WakeUp Call

**Chapter 9 – Wake-up Call**

I wasn't sure if it was because of all the crying I'd already done, but I managed not to let any tears fall after I ran out of Eric's office. I went straight to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on my face, before steeling myself enough to go back to work.

It was hard to put on a smile for my customers, but I did it until my shift was over, and then I high-tailed it out of there. Both Pam and Eric hadn't shown their faces for the rest of the night, for which I was relieved. It was a wonder Pam didn't come out and fire me, though if she wanted to it wouldn't have surprised me if Eric had stopped her from doing it. He really was too good for me.

Bill was waiting in my house when I got there, and I didn't want to deal with him. I began to wonder why I let him have a key in the first place. He started rubbing my back when I sat on the couch next to him, no doubt trying to get me to agree to do something for him.

"You might as well stop, because you're not getting any," I told him.

"What has gotten into you?" he asked, annoyed.

"I'm just not in the mood."

"Fine. Call me when that happens," he huffed, and stormed out of the house.

After I heard the door slam shut, I numbly got up and locked it. Part of me wanted to be upset that Bill had left mad, but another, perhaps bigger, part of me just didn't care. I went to my bedroom and curled up on top of the covers to think.

I'd learned a lot that night. Pam claimed that Bill was abusing me, and she made some good points, but I wasn't convinced that was the case. Bill loved me, and that's what he'd been showing me during our relationship; his love. He was just a bit possessive, but I could handle that. I just couldn't entertain the idea that I'd been abused for the past four years.

Then there was what Eric told me. It hurt to even think about. I kept picturing a young Eric, scared to death when his father would come home and hurt him. No child should ever have to fear a parent in that way. He'd confessed that he had a hard time trusting women, and what did I do? I betrayed his trust. I realized that I had probably made it worse for him when I walked away, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I had to go forward with my plan of telling Bill.

If only it were easy.

**One Week Later**

In the week since that night at the bar, I still hadn't told Bill about Eric. We didn't talk for three days, and when I hadn't called him he came over and was back to being his sweet self once more. I knew I had to tell him though. He was beginning to suspect something was up, since we hadn't slept together again.

Things at work had been really tense. Pam gave me a mean, yet somehow still sympathetic look every time she saw me, and I hadn't seen Eric. I was dying to know how his injuries were, but I had no right to ask.

The night of Pam's annual blowout party, the bar was closed. She had no reason to have a party; she just did, one night a year. It was ridiculous, and extravagant, and completely Pam. I wasn't planning to go for obvious reasons, and decided to tell Bill about Eric and me that night.

"I don't understand why we're not going to that party. I love that party. I may hate your bosses, but that dyke sure can throw a good one," Bill told me after he let me in his house.

"Don't call her that, Bill. I don't want to go because tonight is important for us. I need to tell you something," I said.

"Tell me what?"

"Let's go sit down," I said, and pulled him into the living room.

We sat on the couch together, and I took his hands in mine.

"You know I love you very much," I began, and he looked slightly bored as he nodded. "Since the car accident and our break-up, things have been very hard for me. I felt really alone, and Eric and I became close friends."

"Yeah, I know, and I don't like it."

"Please just listen to me."

"Fine."

"You're probably wondering why you and I haven't slept together in a week."

"You said you're on your thing, but it's done now, right? I'm getting impatient," he said.

I took a deep breath. "Bill, I wasn't on my period. I'm not supposed to start until next week."

"You lied to me?" he asked, pulling his hands from my grip. "Why?"

"Something happened between Eric and me," I said carefully.

"You told me you didn't fuck him," he yelled, standing up from the couch. "I fucking asked you, and you lied to me!"

"No," I said, standing up as well. I could see how angry he was getting. It made me nervous, because he'd never been this upset towards me. "We hadn't when you asked."

It took him a moment to put it together, but he finally realized that it meant it happened after we got back together.

"You fucked him?" he asked, cold and calculated.

"A week ago," I said quietly, and took a deep breath, bracing myself for his reaction.

I expected him to be disappointed, or to yell for a while, but what actually happened a split second later shocked me to my core. Faster than I could comprehend, Bill's fist connected hard with my cheek and eye. I fell backwards onto the couch and held my hand over the burning skin.

"You stupid, lying, cheating whore!" Bill screamed at me. He straddled my hips on the couch and gripped my upper arm hard, turning me to look at him.

"Get off me!" I yelled, and tried to push at him, but he was stronger, and simply squeezed my arm tighter. "Let go, you're hurting me!"

"You deserve this, you fucking bitch," he said, and then slapped me across the face. "Was I not good enough for you? Are you that much of a slut that you have to spread your legs for everyone?" His voice dropped to a cruel whisper. "It's no wonder about what happened with Bartlett. You let it happen. I'll bet you're lying about him too. He got the first taste, didn't he? I should have known you weren't a virgin. Just damaged goods."

"Get the fuck off of me!" I screamed in his ear, and then I shifted just enough to kick him between the legs.

"Bitch," he yelled as he fell to the side, but still tried to grab me as I got up and ran out of the house. I didn't stop until I was in my car.

The tears were falling in streams at that point, and I had no clue where to go. I was too afraid to go home, because it was too near Bill and he had a key. Amelia was away for a couple of days, and Jason would probably just get his gun if he saw me like this. Then I pictured Eric. I was safe with him. I always felt safe with him. So I got on the road to Shreveport, and drove to Pam's house.

As I drove I felt as though I was on autopilot, like I wasn't consciously making my body move. My head kept re-playing what had happened, like it was trying to convince me that it had.

Bill hit me.

I had expected him to be angry. Who wouldn't have been? But I thought we would be able to work it out. That Bill would see that I'd just made a mistake like he had. I never thought he would physically hurt me.

Then it struck me that Pam was right. Bill was an abuser. He abused me. I repeated the words over and over, hating the way they sounded, even in my head. I was just a victim, again.

Eventually, I found myself at Pam's house and parked up the street since there were so many cars. I felt like everyone was staring at me when I walked in the house, and I couldn't find Eric or Pam. Too afraid to ask anyone where they were, I just kept walking around, looking, until I ran into one of the two people I wanted to see the least at that moment.

"Oh good, just who I wanted to see," Lorena said in her sickeningly sweet voice. "Bill's looking for you too."

The way the time worked out, I knew that the first thing Bill must have done after I took off was call Lorena. He had probably never stopped sleeping with her.

"Stay away from me," I told her, and tried to walk around her, but she stepped in front of me again.

"Why the fuck would you cheat on him? Are you that stupid?" she asked with an air of arrogance in her voice. It was like she thought she'd won a prize. "I mean, he told me you were simple-minded, but damn."

"And what does that make you? He did the same fucking thing to me, he did it longer, and he never would have told me if I hadn't found out! If I'm guilty of being stupid, then it's because I went back to him, not because I slept with a man who loves me."

By now we had the attention of a small group of people around us.

"You stupid whore. If you had kept him satisfied, he wouldn't have needed to come to me," she spat, and I'd had enough. Just as I was about to hit her, the other person I didn't want to see shoved through the crowd and grabbed my arms. His hand was pressing on the spot he'd hurt earlier, and I vaguely wondered if I had bruises there already.

"Don't you dare touch her," he growled as he pushed me backwards through the crowd and towards the front door. I tried to resist and push back, because I didn't want to be outside and alone with Bill, but my arm was already hurting, and he kept squeezing tighter.

"Let go," I sobbed, because of both the pain and the fear, hoping someone would stop staring and pull him away from me.

He kept pushing, and we were almost out the door when I suddenly didn't feel any more pressure. I was disoriented for a moment, and then I saw that Eric was there. He had Bill by the throat against a wall.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Compton?" Eric asked, sounding angry as ever.

"Let go," Bill choked out.

I was frozen in my spot, unsure of what to do. Then Bill kicked Eric hard in the knee and punched him in the ribs, the ones that I knew were probably still healing. Eric staggered back slightly, and Bill took the opportunity to punch him again. I heard a growl come from Eric, and then they were on the floor. Fists were flying, and I could hear the blows landing, but could hardly tell who was hitting whom.

Bill managed to get up at one point, and started out the door, but Eric got up quickly and tackled him. They landed on the porch outside, and as the fight continued they ended up down the stairs and in the grass. I was finally fed up at that point. I didn't want to see another fist because of me.

"Stop!" I screamed. "Just stop it!"

They both halted their actions and looked at me.

"Bill, stay away from me," I said, and stole a quick glance at Eric before running off to my car.

**Eric POV**

"Sookie, wait!" I called after her as she took off, but she didn't listen. Bill started to chase her and I quickly stepped in front of him, grabbed him by the neck, and used all my strength to knock him to the ground.

"Unless you want your dick ripped off and shoved down your throat, you'll stay the fuck away from her," I threatened.

Wisely, Bill didn't say anything back, and after I let him go he got up and limped off to Lorena.

Pam ran up to me with her cell phone in hand. "You okay? Should I call the cops?"

"I'm fine. Don't call them. I need to make sure he did what I think he did. We have to get him on that before he tries to get me for assault."

"You think he hit her?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Call me when you figure something out," she said, and then gave me a hug, which was completely out of character for Pam.

I pulled my keys out of my pocket, and thanked myself for being wise enough to park on the street so I could get out. My foot pressed hard on the gas pedal as I raced to Sookie's house, hoping that was where she had gone. A whole week had passed since our encounter at my house, and I already felt like I was dying inside without her. Seeing that fear in her eyes as Bill pushed her out of the house was enough to make me want to kill him. I wouldn't have stopped if Sookie hadn't screamed at us.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I pulled into Sookie's drive and saw her car parked there. The light was on in the living room, so I knocked on the door. There wasn't an answer and I didn't hear any movement inside after a few seconds, so I knocked again.

"Go away or I'll call the sheriff!" Sookie yelled from inside.

"Sookie, it's Eric. It's okay, you can let me in," I said, and the door flew open.

She already had a nasty bruise forming around her eye. Before I could say anything she was in my arms, hers wrapped around me tightly as she cried into my chest. I held her to me and said soothing things quietly until she calmed down.

"Are you okay?" she asked after a few minutes.

"I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you," I said.

She pulled away and waved a dismissive hand. "I'm okay, it's nothing."

That was it, the last straw. There was no way I was going to let her be in denial for one more second about what was happening to her. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to her bedroom.

"What are you doing?" she asked, and her voice held a hint of worry.

"Look," I said as I stood her in front of the mirror. "Look at yourself. Who is that? What in the hell did you do to deserve that bruise?"

Her eyes were wide as she took in her reflection, and I saw them glisten with tears as her chin quivered.

"What on earth could you have possibly said or done to make it okay for him to hit you?" I remembered the way she winced at the party when he gripped her arms, and gently lifted her sleeve. There were already purple and blue marks that clearly showed a hand had left them there.

"You deserve so much, Sookie. You deserve to laugh, and smile, to live your life without fear of those that you love. You deserve someone that loves you, someone that will fix you breakfast in bed just because, someone to tell you every day how beautiful you are, and someone who wants you just as you are, and just as you want to be. You don't deserve these bruises."

The tears finally spilled from her eyes, and she shut them.

I continued gently, "You are not damaged, Sookie. _Bill_ is damaged. If you don't accept that soon, he'll take you to hell with him."

I placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, and took a few steps back until I was no longer visible in the mirror. After a moment she opened her eyes and really looked at herself, and just as I remembered the same thing happening to me, I saw it all click in her mind. The floodgates opened, and she began crying in earnest as she dropped to her knees.

I ached to go to her and tell her everything would be alright, but I couldn't. She and I both knew that was a lie. Eventually, it would be, but not right now. The last four years of her life had been one huge manipulation. You don't get over that quickly.

Her head dropped to her hands, and I glanced around for some tissues. I spotted some on her nightstand and grabbed them before kneeling on the floor beside her. She pulled one from the box and blew her nose while I rubbed her back.

"It's not going to be easy, but I'll be here every step of the way," I said.

She nodded, and laid her head on my shoulder.

"I'm a damn fool," she said.

"We're all fools in love," I said.

She snorted, "Only you could take a movie quote and apply it here, at this moment, and make me smile."

"It's what you keep me around for," I smiled.

"I really let him abuse me, didn't I?" she asked.

"Nobody lets something like that happen. You couldn't do anything about it because you weren't aware of what it was. You know now. The only way you'd ever be letting it happen is if you went back to him."

"That's not going to happen," she said firmly, and I felt nothing but relief.

"What now?" she asked.

"We need to get to the police station," I said, and began to help her up.

"Why?"

"It's going to be completely up to you, but I think you need to press charges against him."

"I can't do that. It'll just make him angry."

"He's proven to be dangerous. He hurt you, drove to Shreveport to hurt you again, and then he fought me. Your bruises alone are enough for a domestic violence charge. At the very least you should report him and get a restraining order."

She pulled away from me and backed away slowly until she reached the bed, and sat down. She started taking shallow breaths, and I realized that she was trying to keep herself from hyperventilating. I knelt in front of her and took her hands.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's too… too much… I can't…" she said, taking a shallow breath between her words.

"Look at me," I said. "Take a deep breath and calm down." She inhaled very deeply, and let it all out slowly. "Now tell me what's wrong."

"Five hours ago I had hopes that Bill and I would be okay. That he would see that we'd both made mistakes and we would work things out. I was nervous about our relationship, but confident it would work out. Now I'm considering pressing charges and getting a restraining order. It's too much."

"Sookie…"

"No, it's okay. I get it, and I know that I need to do it, but it's happening so fast. I need a minute to breathe."

"Would you rather wait and go in the morning?" I asked.

She thought about it for a moment, and then took another deep breath and said, "No. I need to do this now."

"Okay," I said, and stood up, pulling her up to stand as well. "Let's do this."

It was hard for Sookie to tell someone she'd known all her life what Bill had done, but the Deputy didn't act insensitive about it once. He actually looked relieved that something was being done. I wondered how many people knew what was going on with Bill. It was also hard for me to hear her recount the ordeal and not go find Bill to kill him myself, especially when she got to the part about what he said about her uncle.

It took a couple of hours to get all the paperwork done and pictures taken, and when everything was finished, I took Sookie home.

"Will you stay with me?" she asked when I parked in front of her house. She was exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

"I was going to stay even if you didn't want me to, but I'm glad you asked because I'm sure the couch is more comfortable than the porch"

"You don't have to sleep on the couch," she laughed. "If it's okay with you, I'd like for you to sleep in my room with me."

I hesitated to answer, unsure of exactly what she was suggesting.

"Nothing has to happen, Eric. I just… The reason I went to Shreveport after what happened tonight is because I feel safest when I'm with you. I need to feel safe right now. I understand that you don't want more from me, but all I ask is that you at least stay with me until I fall asleep."

"You're wrong," I said, and turned towards her to pick up her hands. "I want you more than I've ever wanted anyone or anything, but I don't think you should to jump into another relationship right now, and I won't make you think you have to. It's time for you to get back to normal and find yourself again."

"So you want me, but you won't do anything about it?"

"Not right now," I grinned. "I'd love to spend time with you still. I'd even like to take you out to dinner and a movie on occasion, but we don't need to label what we have. We should just take it slow until you're ready. I'm willing to wait."

"Why?"

I tucked a bit of stray hair behind her ear and smiled warmly. "Because a girl like you is worth waiting for."

* * *

**A/N:**

I know it's been a bit since I've updated this, but I hope the chapter makes up for it. I haven't started the next yet, and I have a busy weekend ahead, but I hope to start it soon.

I want to thank Kyss for the amazing scene she outlined to me. It made me go back and re-read this story, and helped me realize that these characters have developed beyond what I'd expected. That scene, or at least a form of it, is in this chapter. Kyss, I hope I did it justice.

Thank you to Missie and FDM for their fabulous beta eyes! You two are the cinnamon to my sugar :-)


	10. I Hate What You've Done

**A/N:**

**Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't updated this in a while. I do have a reason, but that reason will make everyone glare at me, so I'm keeping it to myself :) **

**Thank you to A_Redhead_Thing for being a fantastic beta with hardly a notice since I wanted to get this out tonight!  
**

**A refresher: Last chapter, Sookie got her wake-up call when Bill hit her after she told him about being with Eric. She went to Pam's party where Bill caught up with her and man-handled her again, and Eric stepped in. Eric and Bill fought, and Sookie went home. Eric followed her there and helped her through her breakdown since he'd been through something similar in his past. They filed a report against Bill and asked for a restraining order. Eric brought Sookie home and reassured her that he still wants her, but he's not going to do anything about it until she's ready, because... in his words: "A girl like you is worth waiting for."**

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* * *

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**Chapter 10 - I Hate What You've Done  
**

_Because a girl like you is worth waiting for…_

Eric's words kept swirling around in my mind, making me unable to fall asleep. He was curled up behind me, arm draped over my waist, snoring lightly.

_Because a girl like you is worth waiting for…_

Was I worth waiting for? I felt like the only girls worth waiting for were the ones that _really_ were worth it. They didn't have dramatic crap like abusive boyfriends, and funny uncles. They were the girls who did well in school and went to college. They had careers and aspirations. They certainly weren't messed up, dumb blonde waitresses.

I closed my eyes and tried to put all of it out of my head. My concerns needed to be about dealing with the aftermath of the night's events, not about Eric's feelings for me.

I'd filed paperwork to get a restraining order against Bill, and as soon as he got wind of it, he was going to be furious. After we'd gotten into bed, Eric asked if I would consider staying with him until the order was granted, and I told him that I would think about it. Having just realized that the last four years of my life were just a big pile of manipulated feelings, the last thing I wanted to do was change anything because of Bill.

Then the realistic side of my brain kicked in. Bill had finally shown his true colors. He was a violent, angry person, and there was no telling what he would do to me if given the chance. It wouldn't be a bad thing to stay with Eric for a few days. If anything, I could stay there until I got my locks changed.

I rolled over to look at him and his arm tightened around my waist in his sleep, pulling me flush against him. A small gasp escaped, and I quickly stopped breathing, not wanting to wake him. He began to snore again after a moment so I relaxed and took the opportunity to study him.

He was handsome, classically handsome. His sharp features did nothing to hide his beautiful eyes, and even though they were closed, they still remained my favorite part of his face. Next came his incredible cheek bones, and strong jaw line. Then his lips. Those perfect, kissable lips. I thought of the way those lips made me feel when they were kissing me, and my body gave a small shudder.

Yes, I would definitely be staying with Eric for a while.

With that decision made I closed my eyes, snuggled my face into Eric's chest, and fell asleep to the sound of his rhythmic snores.

I woke before him in the morning, and carefully removed myself from his arms without waking him. After a trip to the bathroom to shower and get dressed, I came back to the bedroom to discover that Eric was still sleeping. He had moved to his back, his forearm resting over his eyes, and his mouth slightly open. I stood there for a moment just staring at him and said a silent prayer. I asked for one thing. All I wanted was to see that man, in that position, even with the snoring, every morning for the rest of my life.

Another five minutes of staring was all my stomach could take before it growled loudly, so I went to the kitchen to start making breakfast. The first thing I did was take some pills for the pain I still felt. My eye looked horrible. It was darkly bruised in the middle, with a weird blue-green around the edges, and it hurt like hell. My arm didn't look as bad, but I could clearly see where Bill's hand had been, and I hated that.

I shook off the thoughts of Bill and what had happened to see what I had in the refrigerator for breakfast. Eggs, some sausage, a little ham and cheese, perfect for an omelet. I pulled out the ingredients and set them on the counter by the stove before going back for the milk, and this time when I turned around, I wasn't alone.

"Sookie," Bill said calmly.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked trying to keep my cool while inside my brain was screaming 'Get to Eric, get to Eric, get to Eric.'

"I still have a key. I wanted to ask you why you felt the need to get a restraining order against me," he said, still in that same calm tone. It was as though we were discussing the weather.

"You're kidding, right? You can see my face," I said, and set the milk down on the table between us.

"You upset me," he said, and I saw that flash of anger in his eyes.

"And you upset me right back when you hit me." I was inching around the table, hoping to get to the doorway so I could run down the hall to my room. Bill was smart though, and he inched the same way, eventually blocking me, and then he came forward, cornering me.

"I had good reason," he said. "Do you have any idea what this restraining order will do to me? Everyone in this damn town knows you. No one will give me work, and I'll have to move."

"I guess you should have thought about that before you hit me," I said, pushing my shoulders back and standing a bit straighter. I wouldn't be afraid of him. Jason had taught me how to throw a punch when I was sixteen, and you can be damn certain I had a fist waiting and ready at my side.

"I want you to drop it, Sookie. If our time together meant anything to you at all, you'll do me this favor."

"Our time together means nothing to me now, Bill. _Nothing_. You used me. You manipulated me. You _abused_ me. I will not be doing you any favors."

I saw the fury in his eyes and knew he was about to attack, so I did it first. I recalled all the self-defense moves Jason had ever taught me, and I used them. All my strength went into that first punch, and while he was bent slightly I grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the balls, hard. He fell to his knees and I punched him again with my other hand since the first one was still stinging like a bitch, this time knocking him to the floor.

Then I completely snapped. It was like all the things he'd ever done to me that were wrong, the abuse and manipulation, came to the surface. Along with them came the happy moments; the ones that were now a lie. I saw nothing but the years I'd lost to the pathetic mess that was Bill Compton, and all I wanted was for him to hurt.

So I kicked him. Then I kicked him again. And then I started crying as my mouth began spewing words at him, yelling at him what each blow was payback for. The next thing I knew I was on top of him, slapping him across the face and beating on his chest until someone pulled me off. I kicked and screamed because I wasn't done yet. I was only on year two, and he had more to pay for. Then the arms that pulled me away wrapped around me and crushed me to a hard chest as a voice spoke to me.

"It's not worth it, Sookie. He's not worth it. You'll hate yourself later. He's not worth it," Eric repeated.

I let the words sink in and sagged against him. He helped me back to the bathroom and turned the water in the sink on. I watched him grab a washcloth and wet it down, and then he knelt in front of me and picked up one of my hands. I looked down and realized that he was wiping Bill's blood from my hand. Had I hit him that much? Then it really hit me that I had Bill's blood on me. I stood up quickly and ran to the sink where the water was still running. I started scrubbing my hands with the soap, desperate for his blood to be gone.

When Eric's hands stilled mine I realized that I was crying again, but I was also still angry. I turned to him and pushed him.

"Why did you stop me?" I growled at him. "Why?"

When he didn't answer I pounded my fists on his chest. "He deserves it! Why can't I hurt him? Why did you stop me?"

I kept hitting him, and I was unable to stop. I could see that his eyes were clenched shut, but I still couldn't stop. I was furious, and all I wanted was to hurt someone.

I heard Eric take in a shuddering breath, and then he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to him, and trapping my arms between us.

"No, let me go," I cried as I struggled in his embrace. "Please let me go. Please," I begged.

"No," he gasped, and I realized that he was crying with me.

I went limp in his arms, and we both dropped to the floor. I cried for myself, and I cried for the time I'd lost, and Eric cried with me. He shared my pain because he was the only one who had a clue of what I was feeling. He shared my pain because he loved me.

Eric rocked me back and forth for a long time, and only loosened his grip when my sobs had been reduced to hiccups.

"You'd hate yourself, Sookie. That's why I stopped you," he told me. "If you hurt him enough to think it made up for what he did to you, you would start to question if you were like him. It happened to me when I hurt others in high school. I wondered if I would be like my father. I don't want you to ever think you could be like Bill. You're not. You never will be."

I took a moment to think about what he said, and I knew that he was right. I wasn't a violent person, and I actually hated the urge I felt to hurt someone. Even if that someone was Bill. My grandmother had raised me better than that. I was a better person than that. Then it hit me that I'd not only hurt Bill, but Eric as well. I removed myself from his arms and scrambled to get to the other side of the bathroom.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and started to come towards me.

"I hurt you. Jesus, Eric. You used to be hit by your father, and I hit you anyway," I said, horrified with my actions. Eric was in front of me in a second, his hands cradling my face.

"It's okay," he said.

"No it's not."

"Yes, it is. You didn't want to hurt me, you just wanted to stop the pain. You were consumed with anger. I remember what that feels like. All you did was beat on my chest a bit, Sook. I'm fine, I promise."

"Don't ever let me do that again. Ever. I couldn't forgive myself."

He pulled me against him again and rubbed my back lightly.

"We should probably go call the police and tell them what happened. I'm sure Bill is long gone by now," he said, and helped me stand up. "What happened anyway? I woke up when I heard you screaming and found you on top of Bill."

"He has a key. I didn't even think about the locks. He came in and asked me to drop the restraining order, cornered me in the kitchen, and when I refused he got angry. I hit him before he could hit me though."

Eric smiled. "I'm so proud of you for standing up to him. You can take care of yourself just fine. You always could, you just didn't think you had a need to."

I smiled up at him and took his hand. "Let's go call the police."

Bill was no longer in the kitchen when we got there, so we called the police and they told us not to touch anything, and said they'd send an officer out to document what happened. Eric and I sat together on the couch while we waited, and I couldn't stop myself from wrapping my arms around him, letting myself be held and comforted by him.

"I know we're not defining what we are, and I think it's the right thing to do for now, but I need you to know that I do love you, and I regret what I did after we were together," I told him. "I was afraid, and…"

"I know. I love you too. And I stand by what I said. There's absolutely no pressure for us to become more than what we are now."

"What are we now?"

"We're a man and a woman who fell in love at an inconvenient time, and aren't furthering the relationship until we're both emotionally ready for it," he said without missing a beat.

"You practiced that in your head before now, didn't you?" I teased.

"Maybe," he smiled down at me, and just as he tilted his head forward to kiss me, there was a knock at the door. We reluctantly broke apart and got up to answer it.

The deputy came in with another officer, and we went to the living room so I could give them my report of what happened. After that was written up and signed, I took them to the kitchen. There was an overturned chair that I actually hadn't noticed until then. The officers gathered the evidence they needed, strongly advised that I get my locks changed, and then left.

"What now?" I asked, feeling at a loss and emotionally drained.

"I'm kinda craving whatever you were about to make this morning. How about we have some breakfast, and then we go get some supplies so I can get your locks changed?"

"That sounds wonderful."

Eric helped me with breakfast and then showered while I cleaned up the dishes. He only had the clothes he brought to wear, so he suggested that we go to his house for the night, and I agreed to it. Even with the locks changed and the beating I'd given Bill, I still wasn't quite ready to be alone.

Eric paid for the new locks, and I insisted on paying him back, but I knew he wouldn't accept the money. We had lunch at my house, and then I packed a bag before we headed to Eric's. I'd spent a lot of the day thinking, and I'd finally come to a conclusion that I needed to share with Eric, so I told him about it on the drive.

"I think I need to talk to someone about all this," I said.

"You can talk to me," Eric said and reached over the console to take my hand.

"I know, but there are things that I'm not exactly comfortable sharing with you. I feel like I can tell you anything, but there's some stuff that I just…"

"It's okay. I get it, and I'm not offended," he said and offered a reassuring squeeze to my hand. "Do you want to look into going to a therapist?"

"No. I don't like therapists. I had to see one in school when my parents died, and I hated it. I was thinking more along the lines of someone like Pam."

"Pam? Really?"

"Yes. I know her, and I trust her. And I know she would understand without judging me," I said. I almost caught myself telling him that Pam had been in an abusive relationship too, but remembered that she'd never told Eric about it, before I let it spill.

"If you're absolutely sure."

"I am."

"Okay. Want me to have her come over tonight when the bar closes?"

"I'd like that," I smiled. "Wait, don't you have to work tonight?"

"Honestly, I could stop working all together and Pam could handle it easily. I'm really only needed for the things that require my signature. Pam's a great second, she takes care of everything," he said.

"Doesn't that bother you at all?" I asked.

"Sometimes. Not that Pam's great, but that I'm not really needed. I've been thinking about opening something else, but I'm not sure what yet. There are a few promising businesses that are looking to sell."

"I think that's great, Eric."

"Will you help me with whatever I decide?" he asked.

"What? I'm not a businesswoman at all. I'm just good at the service part," I said, feeling flustered.

"I don't know about that. I think you've got a lot of potential to do more than just waitress if you wanted, but if you're happy then you should keep doing it."

"It's not like waitressing is a dream job. It's just that I never figured out what I was good at. We couldn't afford college, and I didn't have good enough grades for a full ride anywhere, so I just didn't bother looking into it. But I like being around people, so being a waitress isn't so bad."

"How about this? When I start looking into another business, you come along. You can give me your opinion, no matter what it is. Perhaps there's something else in this business you can enjoy doing that still lets you be around people," he said as his thumb moved back and forth across the back of my hand.

"I think I would be willing to do that, but you have to promise me that you're not doing this just because we're… well, because you have feelings for me," I said, and he laughed.

"Of course I'm doing it because I have feelings for you. I love you, and I want you to be happy, and I don't think you are happy doing what you're doing. If you say you are, then I won't push it, I promise."

"So it's not because it's beneath you to be with an uneducated waitress?"

"What? No. Hold on. We'll finish this inside," he said as we turned down his street.

I got so nervous from the time I asked the question to when we were sitting on his couch that my hands were shaking as he held them.

"I'm only going to say this once because I mean it, okay?" Eric asked, and I nodded.

"I would not care if you were an illiterate janitor. I would still love you, and I would still want to proudly have you at my side. I don't care what you do as a job. As long as you are happy with it, I'll be happy. You are smart, and clever, and such a kind person. You could do anything you wanted."

I couldn't say anything in response. Bill never let it be a secret to me that he hated that I was in the service industry. When introducing me to his friends he usually tried to make it sound like I was a bartender, which was somehow more respectable in his eyes, and afterward he would tell me how much he hated that I was a waitress. And now here was Eric telling me that it didn't matter to him at all, and I believed him.

"Is this some leftovers from Bill?" Eric asked.

I could only nod my answer, and when I did, Eric pulled me into a hug.

"It's okay. We'll get through it," he said.

"Promise?" I asked.

"Promise. Now let's go call Pam, and then I can get changed into some clean clothes," he said as he released me.

"Thank you, Eric," I said.

"Anytime, Sookie," he smiled.


	11. Family and Reality

**Chapter 11 - Family and Reality  
**

Pam agreed to come over and talk to me after work, and said that we could get together a few times a week if I wanted. I thought it would be a good idea, so I agreed. Eric and I watched a movie, and had supper before Pam arrived. Then he went off to his office so we could talk.

"So what's up?" she asked like we were going to have a conversation about shopping. Her approach actually relaxed me.

"You're the only person that knows what I've been through, even if to a lesser degree. Eric gets it, but there's some stuff I don't want him to know about."

"Sexual stuff?"

"Mostly," I admitted.

In an unprecedented move, Pam reached out and took my hand. "I want you to feel free to talk to me about anything. I won't say a word to Eric."

"Thank you."

She nodded. "Now what do you want to start with? We can do this anytime, and for as long as you want, so take it slow if you need to."

I did start slow that night, and we talked for almost two hours about the beginning of my relationship with Bill. Pam helped me see a lot of things in a different light, and it was extremely helpful. After she left, I sought out Eric in his office only to find him asleep on his desk. I walked over to him and brushed my fingers through his hair gently as I said his name.

"Hi," he said groggily when his eyes opened and he saw that it was me. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"Not sure, but Pam just left and we were out there for about two hours. Go crawl in bed and get some rest."

"Are you okay?" he asked as he sat back in his chair.

"I'm better," I said. "I think I'll just take a shower and crawl in bed too."

He nodded. "Okay. There's still bathroom stuff in the guest bathroom from before, and I'm pretty sure there's clean towels in there too."

"Thanks."

Eric stood up, and gave me a long, lingering hug. He placed a kiss on my temple, and said, "Night, Sookie. I'll see you in the morning."

"Night," I replied.

As I showered I thought about Eric, but not in a sexual way. I got the feeling that he was getting the short end of the stick with all of my crap. He said he was willing to wait, and I believed him, but that didn't make it fair. My only solution was to try to get better as quickly as possible. I wouldn't let what Bill did affect my relationship with Eric any more than it absolutely had to. I was capable of being strong, like my grandmother. She'd been through a lot of tough things in her life, and if she could still be happy, then I would be too.

After I pulled on my pajama pants and old t-shirt I crawled into bed, only to toss and turn without nearing sleep at all. I thought I'd be able to relax since I knew Bill wouldn't have the balls to come here, even if he knew where it was, but I couldn't let myself go. The last time I'd felt comfortable enough to sleep I'd been with Eric, so I threw the covers back and went to Eric's room.

"Eric?" I asked quietly as I cracked open his door.

"Everything okay?"

I walked into the room and found him sitting up in bed, having just turned his lamp on. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and he looked concerned.

"I'm fine, I just can't sleep. I know I'm gonna sound like a child, but can I sleep in here with you?"

Eric smiled and held the covers up. "Climb in," he said.

He turned off the lamp while I slid between the sheets, but then I was hit with a wave of anxiety. It was an odd situation we were in. Loving each other, yet unable to do anything about it. Well, that wasn't entirely true. We were able, and willing, but the emotional timing was off for me. I didn't want to be a tease and press myself against him, so I laid there, still as I could be, waiting for him to go to sleep so I could snuggle with him.

I heard him move onto his side, and then I felt his hand in mine. All the tension rolled out of my body from his simple, gentle touch, and I turned my head to look at him. My eyes hadn't fully adjusted to the dark, but I could see his face. He had a small smile on his lips as he stared at me.

"Snuggle up to me if you want, I don't mind," he said, as though he knew what I was thinking. I laughed and rolled into his warm embrace, letting out a sigh when I was able to lay my head on his chest and hear his heartbeat.

For the next three nights I slept in Eric's bed, wrapped up in him, and got the most rest I'd had in a long time. My phone rang on that last night, waking both of us up. It was the Sheriff in Bon Temps calling to let us know that they'd finally gotten a hold of Bill and had him in custody.

The news was very welcome to me because as much as I enjoyed staying with Eric, I was anxious to get my life back to normal. With Bill in custody, I felt safer being home alone. Eric and I had talked to a lawyer and found out that at most Bill would probably get six months in jail, and have to do some community service, but since this was a first offense for him, it was possible he wouldn't do time at all. All I wanted was for him to stay away from me, and that would be kind of hard with him living across the graveyard.

Eric was very concerned about that, but I just told him that he hadn't really met my brother yet. The only time he'd seen Jason was when he came to the bar and hit me, so Eric wasn't really fond of him, but I asked him if he'd be willing to have dinner with Jason and me. I knew my brother, and once he really saw what Bill had done, he and his road crew buddies would be paying Bill a visit. Jason already knew what had happened because gossip flies fast in our little town, but when he called me I found that all he really knew was that I had requested a restraining order against Bill. I promised to tell him what happened, but I wanted to say it face to face, so Eric was going to take me home where I would cook dinner for him and Jason.

Pam gladly took care of the bar that night, and I took everything I had at Eric's house with me when we left. We went to the store first to get things for dinner, and since there was a special on chicken I decided to make Jason's favorite.

"You look really happy," Eric observed as I excitedly grabbed the things I'd need.

"I am. I really miss my brother and how we used to be with each other before Bill. We haven't had a meal together since before Gran died, and I'm going to make him his favorite. It might serve to calm him down when I tell him what happened."

"What are you making?"

"Fried chicken, homemade mashed potatoes with homemade country gravy, and green beans cooked with bacon," I said, and laughed at the look on his face. He seemed like he wanted to drool, but also pictured his arteries clogging at the same time. "I know it's not the healthiest thing ever, but it was one of Gran's Sunday dinners, and I know Jason will appreciate it."

"It'll be delicious, and I'm happy to see you excited about reconciling with your brother."

As soon as we got to my house I started making a homemade pecan pie while Eric checked all the windows and doors to make sure Bill hadn't tried to get in while I was gone. He gave the all clear when he was done, and asked what he could help with.

"Could you peel the potatoes and cut them for me?"

"Of course," he smiled.

I loved cooking with him. It felt natural and right, and we moved around each other in the kitchen like we had been doing it for years.

"Do you ever listen to music while you cook?" Eric asked as he put the pot of potatoes on the stove and turned on the heat.

"You know, I don't think I've ever done that. Gran usually cooked while she was gossiping on the phone, so it was never even an idea to."

"Do you have a radio?"

"Actually, would you mind if we put on a record? I haven't listened to any since Gran died."

"Sure," he said, and I led him around the corner to the old record player Gran had owned since she was young.

"All the records are in this cabinet," I said gesturing to the doors below. "You pick something."

"Are you in the mood for anything specific?"

"Nope, Anything you pick will be fine. I love all of Gran's records."

While Eric browsed through the selection I went back to the kitchen to put the pie in the oven. A few minutes later I heard the faint sound of old music, and then the volume turned up and my eyes welled up with tears. Eric had chosen Billie Holliday's "I'll Be Seeing You". Gran used to play it when she was missing my grandfather. When I was little, she explained to me that it meant she still saw him in everything, and she felt her love for him when that happened.

"Dance with me," Eric whispered in my ear, causing me to jump a little. "Sorry," he chuckled as he took my hand and spun me around. His left hand held my right, and his other hand rested on my lower back. I laid my head on his chest as we moved together. I imagined that if someone could have taken a photo of us at that moment it would have been the most beautiful thing I would ever see. The setting sun cast an orange glowing light in the kitchen, and I'd never felt more at home.

Eric brought our clasped hands to his chest as he began to hum along with the song, and a new meaning started to take the place of Gran's. This was Eric telling me that he was more than okay with waiting for me. He would see me in the little things, and know our love was worth it. Everything in that moment felt so right that I forgot everything else, I forgot all the reasons we were taking it slow, and I tilted my face up so that he would kiss me and make the moment complete.

He stopped swaying, and let go of my hand so he could cradle my cheek gently. His lips pressed lightly against mine at first, sweetly, as though he wasn't sure he should be kissing me. I brought my hands up to wrap around his neck so he'd understand that I was okay with it, and he put his hands on my waist. There wasn't really anything sexual about the kiss, and it didn't mean anything regarding our relationship status. It was just two people simply saying 'I love you' with a kiss. We continued to kiss through the end of the song, but it was my brother clearing his throat that made us finally break apart.

"Jason!" I pulled myself from Eric's arms and went to hug my brother. At the same time, Eric went to the living room to stop the record player. After I'd hugged Jason good and long I gave him a kiss on the cheek and took a step back.

"It's so good to see you again," I smiled. He didn't though. His eyes were on my bruise, which was still quite noticeable.

"Is this what he did?" Jason asked through clenched teeth.

"He did a lot more than that," Eric piped up from somewhere behind me.

"Oh yeah? And who are you?"

"Jason, please calm down. I'll tell you what happened with Bill after dinner," I said, and then I walked over to stand next to Eric. "This is Eric. He's my boss, and a very good friend."

"Friends don't kiss like that," Jason said accusingly, and for once I wished he were his normal non-observant self.

"We're friends who happen to care very deeply for each other, and that's all you need to know right now," I said, using Gran's firm tone.

"Fine," he mumbled, then came closer and stuck his hand out for Eric to shake. "Nice to meet you."

Eric took Jason's hand and gripped it firmly, even I could tell.

"We've met actually," he said. I glanced elsewhere. I should have known Eric would have mentioned that.

"Oh?" Jason asked.

"The night you came to the bar and slapped your sister when you told her your grandmother passed away."

"Oh," Jason said and hung his head for a second before looking right at me. He took my hands in his and said, "Sook, I know I never apologized for that, but I'm truly sorry. I have no excuses for hitting you and…"

"You were upset about Gran, and…"

"No," he said firmly. "There is no reason for a man to hit a woman. Ever. Even less reason for a man to hit his own sister. What I did was wrong, and I've felt guilty about it since it happened. I don't expect you to ever forgive me for it."

"Oh Jason," I cried and threw myself into his arms. "Of course I forgive you. I love you."

"I love you too, sis," he said into my hair. "I don't wanna go this long without bein' close again, okay?"

"Okay," I nodded, wiping my tears away with my hand.

"Now what are you fixin' me? I smell pie," he grinned, and just like that my simple brother was back.

Eric finished helping me cook supper while Jason yapped away at us, asking Eric questions about his job and what he wanted in life. He was doing the Gran interrogation, which was amusing because it didn't quite come off the same way. I did pay attention to Eric's answer to the life question though.

"All I want in my life is love," Eric said. "I didn't have the greatest childhood, so I never really experienced love until I met my best friend Pam."

Jason interrupted, "Since you're kissin' my sister, I'm guessin' you're not kissin' this Pam chick. Is she hot?"

"You don't have the right equipment, Jase," I told him. "Eric, please continue."

Eric smiled, and finished answering. "In five years I see myself married, hopefully thinking about children, and just enjoying a life full of love."

"Love," Jason grumbled. "I don't know why everyone's so obsessed with it. Dawn won't quit buggin' me about sayin' it to her."

"Maybe you should," I said, quite glad my brother had transitioned into something else. I didn't want to dwell on the images of Eric and I in the life he hoped for.

"But if I say it then she'll be buggin' me about a ring, and I'm not ready for that."

"If you really love her, you should tell her. You can also tell her that you're not ready for marriage. Women appreciate honesty, even if they don't show it at first," I told him as I began setting the food on the table.

"Whatever you say, Sook," Jason said. He was done talking about it because now food was the only thing on his brain. "This looks delicious."

"I'm guessing this is the first real meal you've seen in a while," I laughed.

"Does the chicken fried steak at Merlotte's count?" he asked.

"It comes frozen, so no."

"Then yeah, this is the first real meal I've seen since Gran last cooked for me," he said, and his head hung slightly when he mentioned Gran. I reached across the table and took his hand.

"Gran taught me how to make this, but I can't guarantee it'll taste the same. Let's say a prayer, okay?"

Jason nodded, and I took Eric's hand in my free one as we all bowed our heads in silent prayer. While I'm sure Jason was praying for Eric and I to not take seconds and for Dawn to stop being clingy, I was praying that I would heal quickly so I could figure out if I wanted the same things Eric did. As for what Eric was praying for, I didn't even want to speculate.

The meal was absolutely delicious. It didn't taste the same as when Gran made it, but I had a feeling nothing ever would. Jason had seconds and thirds, and there was still some left over that I put in containers for him to take home. I put all the dirty dishes in the sink to wash later, and we all went to the living room so I could talk to Jason. Eric had asked me while Jason was in the bathroom if I wanted him to stay for it, and I promised him I did.

"So tell me what happened, and how hard I have to kick Bill's ass," Jason said. He was sitting in the easy chair and Eric and I were sitting on the couch.

"I don't want you to fight him. You can threaten him all you want, but if you fight him it's likely that he'll press charges."

"You just tell me what he did first."

"Fine, but remember, if you freak out, you don't get any pie."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Fine."

"Okay. What happened with Bill started a long time ago, practically since we started dating."

"He's been hittin' you that long?"

"No. I swear he hasn't. Look, the thing is, I've only just realized recently what happened with Bill. Do you know how emotional abuse works?"

"You mean when a guy talks down to you and calls you names?"

"It can be like that, yes. Bill was much more subtle about it. He was sweet and kind in the beginning, but then he started to separate me from my friends. Did you notice how I stopped going out with Tara and Sam so much? And how you and I started fighting more?"

"Yeah," Jason said, his brows knitted together.

"That was because of Bill. He started to become possessive. He came to work almost every night I worked, he wanted me to be around him if I wasn't working, he kind of made me think I wanted a lot of things I didn't." I was glad Jason didn't pick up on the meaning behind that one. "Almost three months ago, just before the car accident, I found out that Bill cheated on me with his ex, Lorena. I thought it was only once, so I stayed with him, but after the accident I found out it had been going on for a while and was still going on. We broke up for a while, but got back together after a few weeks."

I was getting nervous as I went on, and Eric noticed so he reached into my lap and took one of my hands in his.

"Everything was fine for a while, and then he started behaving the way he used to. Then I was attacked out in the alley at work the night you called me about that car, do you remember?"

Jason had been trying every once in a while to make nice with me, and the car had been a very sweet gesture that I wasn't exactly sure had panned out. I never called him back to set up a time to have lunch.

"You were attacked? Why didn't you tell me? Is that why you never called me back?"

"I was dealing with a lot of heavy stuff after it happened and I didn't know how to tell you, so I just didn't. I'm sorry for that, I really am."

"What happened?"

"A man came down the alley and tried to rape me, but Eric came out before that could happen," I said. I felt like I wanted to cry. When I really told someone about the things that had happened recently I really realized just how much I'd been through. Maybe I did need more time to heal than I thought.

"Jesus, Sook," Jason said, and leaned forward to take my other hand. "Are you okay?"

"Not really," I said, my voice noticeably shaky. "But I'll get better."

Jason nodded, gave my hand a squeeze, and then sat back again so I could continue.

"A couple nights later a few friends of the man that attacked me showed up at the bar with a baseball bat and beat Eric up for what he did to the other man. I found out about it when I went back to work so I went to Eric to see how he was doing."

Now came a part I wasn't sure how to say. Jason didn't want to know anything about my sex life, and I didn't particularly want to tell him, but what I did was pretty crucial to the story.

"Without going into detail for all of our benefits, I realized that night that I'm in love with Eric, and I cheated on Bill."

"Wow, Sook. I didn't know you had it in ya," Jason joked, and I frowned. "I don't mean it in a bad way. It's not like you're the kind of girl that gets around. I mean… should I shut up now?"

I nodded. "I didn't tell Bill until five nights ago, and as you can see, he didn't take it well. He said a lot of hurtful things, he hit and slapped me, and squeezed my arm hard enough to leave bruises, but those are almost completely gone now. I managed to leave his house and drive to Pam's in Shreveport where she was having a party. Before I could find Eric, Lorena and Bill showed up, and Bill tried to force me out of the house. He and Eric got into a fight, and I ran off before it was over. Eric followed me here and went with me to file a report. The next morning Bill showed up and asked me to drop the charges. We got into a fight, and thanks to your punching lessons I had the upper hand the whole time. I got him really good, Jase. You'd have been proud if you saw me."

"I don't need to see him, I am proud," he said with a big grin.

"The cops called last night to say the have him in custody. Eric and I talked to a lawyer, and it seems that Bill won't likely spend a lot of time in jail, even if he's sentenced to jail time. This is his first offense, so he'll probably just get community service, and have to stay away from me."

"Well you know damn well that as soon as he gets out me and the boys will be payin' him a visit. Don't you worry about him buggin' you ever again, sis."

"Just promise that you won't do anything that'll get you into trouble, okay?"

"I won't. Besides, there ain't no way anyone's takin' Bill's side in the matter," he said in a quiet voice. "Now how about that pie?"

Eric excused himself to cut the pie so Jason and I could have a moment alone. I gave him a long hug and thanked him for listening to me.

"You mean the world to me, Jason. You're the last real family I have, and I don't want to lose you again."

"You won't. We're a family again, and I like this Eric guy. He seems really protective of you. He ever hits you and I'll kill him though."

I smiled. "I think he'd say the same about you."

"That's not funny," he frowned.

"Oh come on. I'm just proving your point. Eric and I love each other, but we're taking it really slow. We're not even officially boyfriend-girlfriend. He's willing to wait until I'm ready."

"Are you happy, sis?"

"I'm getting there, but if you mean with Eric, then yes, I am very happy with him."

"Okay," he said simply. Maybe my big brother was growing up. He put his arm around me and we started to head to the kitchen. "You know, I did go ahead and buy that car. It's yours anytime you want it. You can sell your old one to the mechanic that owns that junkyard. He'll buy it for parts."

"Will you let me pay for it?"

"You can buy it for a dollar," he grinned.

"Jason, it's an '04 Cavalier, I know it didn't cost you a dollar," I said as we sat down at the table with Eric, who was plating the pie.

"Nope, but I did get it for a steal. You need a newer car, and you don't need more bills, so it's a dollar or no car."

"Fine. When are you free to do all the paperwork?"

"Anytime."

"How about tomorrow morning?"

"Sounds good," he said, and picked up his fork. "This pie looks delicious."

We all had a piece of pie, and then Jason left with all the leftovers I packed up for him. Eric walked outside with him when he left, I assume so they could have a chat, but he was smiling when he came back in and wrapped his arms around me from behind as I washed the dishes.

"I love being able to do this," he whispered against my ear.

"I do too," I said. "Now help me rinse these."

"Yes, ma'am," he laughed.

After all the dishes were clean, Eric and I snuggled up on the couch together and watched a couple of sitcoms. I loved figuring out all the things he would laugh at. It reminded me of the time he sat with me in the hospital and watched Tom & Jerry cartoons. He had a very laid back sense of humor that I loved. When I began to nod off on his shoulder he spoke.

"Angel, do you want to go to bed?"

I smiled. Angel. That was new, and I liked it. "I probably should if I'm going to get up and do that car stuff in the morning."

"Do you want me to go?" he asked, his fingers brushing through my hair.

"Could you stay? Just for tonight?"

"Of course," he smiled, and fifteen minutes later we were spooning in my bed.

"Eric?"

"Hmm?"

"Where did 'angel' come from?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Out on the couch? You called me angel."

"Did I? Is that okay? I guess pet names can be pretty annoying," he chuckled nervously.

"I like it," I said as I turned in his arms so I could look at him. "I really do. I've never been someone's angel before."

"Well you're my angel. And at the risk of being more cheesy than I ever thought myself capable of, I'll elaborate," he smiled. "You're the brightest light in my life, I feel peace when I'm with you, no matter how chaotic things are. And let's face it, you're as beautiful as I'd expect any angel to be."

"You were right, that was really cheesy," I giggled, and then I kissed him. "But it was also very romantic."

"I'm glad you think so."

"Goodnight, Eric," I said, snuggling my face into his chest.

"Goodnight my angel," he whispered.

* * *

**A/N:**

I apologize for the rehash when Sookie told Jason everything, but she told me she needed to hear it out loud to realize some things, so that's what I did. I'm not sure if I've confessed to this yet, but this story is no longer following the video on which it's based. It stopped after Eric followed Sookie home after the party when he and Bill fought. A very good friend made me think some things through, and I realized that the characters had developed beyond where they would need to be for the events in the video to transpire believably. This is a good thing though, because had I stuck to the video there would have been more angst and not as happy of an ending.

The next chapter is almost entirely written, and it will probably be the second to last chapter, possibly the last if I make it really long.

Thank you to _beatlechicksteph _for beta'ing this for me so I could post tonight! You're awesome sweetie!


	12. It's Been A Long Time

**Chapter 12 - It's Been A Long Time**

A lot had changed in the six months since Bill was sentenced to his jail time. He ended up with three months in jail, and two years of community service, plus a restraining order. After he got out, my brother did pay a visit to him, and I hadn't heard a peep out of him since.

I was no longer a waitress at the bar. I had actually just started Pam's job. Eric found a restaurant that he bought and was going to focus his attention there, so he officially gave Pam his job. He asked Pam to hire the person to take her job, so she interviewed all the staff to see if someone in house could do it. Apparently she thought I could. I have no doubt that her decision was partially because of who I was to Eric, but I really could do the job, and I loved it. The pay was a lot better, I had a ton more responsibility, and I got to spend more time with Eric at work. He still hadn't left his office yet, so Pam and I were sharing until he officially handed the reigns over to her.

As for my relationship with Eric, I was still unsure about becoming official. I knew I wanted it, but I had just recently come to the conclusion that I was really over Bill and put what he'd done to me to rest. That was a major thing, and a huge weight off my back. To go from that, right into another relationship scared the hell out of me.

Eric was still being amazing about it all. We would kiss when we could, and even had several hot and heavy make-out sessions, but that's as far as it would go. He didn't pressure me for more, and I knew he never would. We went on dates together, and he took me as his date to a few business owner events and fundraisers. It was like we were already together, but I couldn't bring myself to think of us that way.

Pam had helped me a lot and made me realize that I couldn't heal faster than I needed to. It did take a while to stop feeling towards Bill, and to get rid of a lot of the residual effects from his abuse. I was learning to say no, and figuring out that while making others happy was great, it was me that needed to be happy first. When Pam thought I was ready she took me to a real therapist, and it actually did help me more than I thought it would. It had been two weeks since my final session with the therapist, and I hadn't had one with Pam either. So now it was all up to me to decide when I was ready to be happy.

I had begun reaching out to the old friends I had driven away, and they were being great about letting me back in. I started having dinner at Sam's bar in Bon Temps a couple nights a week so I could catch up with everyone. We were all taking it slow there too, and Tara and Arlene had finally invited me to go shopping with them in a week.

I walked into work, once again thankful that I no longer had to wear a waitress uniform. Business casual was so much better. I went into my shared office with Pam to drop off my purse, and then headed to the break room to get some coffee.

"Guess who I saw at the club Saturday night?" Selah asked Arlene. They were both gossiping in the break room before their shift started, like normal.

"Who?" Arlene asked, hanging on Selah's every word.

"Eric. Northman." Selah said, and my head shot up as Arlene giggled. "He bought me a drink and we danced, then he took me back to his house…"

"And?" Arlene said, urging her to continue. Selah shot a look at me before continuing since she knew I was listening in.

"We had sex, and it was amazing. He's a God, I'm telling you."

Lying. Bitch. I'd known she was lying from the beginning because not only did Eric not go to clubs, but he was with me Saturday night at the movies. None of the staff knew that Eric and I had any sort of anything going on.

"He asked me not to say anything because he doesn't want the other waitresses to think they have a chance," she said with another pointed glance at me. She still treated me like I was equal to her, even though I could technically fire her if I had cause.

"I can't believe you're having sex with the boss!" Arlene said, and that was about all I could take.

I took a step towards them, and just as I was about to give them both a tongue-lashing, reality hit me. Since we hadn't labeled our relationship I couldn't just say that I was his girlfriend and that Selah was a liar. They'd never believe me. So instead of telling them off, I pretended like I was ready to leave the room, dumped the remainder of my coffee in the sink, and left. The sounds of their snickering carried down the hall as I made my way to his office.

I stood in front of the door for a moment, contemplating what I was about to do, and then I knocked.

"Come in," he called, his voice muffled through the door. With a deep breath, I turned the knob and walked into the office, shutting the door behind me.

Eric was standing in front of his desk, his back to me, and when he heard the door shut he turned around to see who had come in. His whole face lit up when he saw that it was me, and he set the mail that he was sorting through on the desk to give me his full attention.

"Hey, I'm glad you stopped in here. The city theater is doing a production of West Side Story, and I want to get us tickets for this…" I cut off his sentence by pulling his head to mine and kissing him with all the love and passion I could muster, and when I pulled away, he was breathless.

"I want to be your girlfriend, and I want to have sex," I told him.

"What, now?" he asked, clearly confused, yet excited by the idea.

"No, not right this minute," I giggled.

"Back up a second. While I'm thrilled that you're ready to take this step, I would like to know why it happened so suddenly."

"I had an epiphany," I said, and took a seat on the couch. Eric stayed standing and raised an eyebrow. "I was in the break room just now, and Selah was telling this tale about how she saw you at a club on Saturday night, and that you took her to your house and had sex with her, but told her not to tell anyone."

Eric's jaw dropped, and then a split second later he looked angry, like he was about to go to the break room and fire someone.

"Calm down, Eric. It's okay. I know she's lying, and I almost yelled at her for it, but then I realized that I couldn't. I'm not technically your girlfriend. But I want to be. It's been six months since everything with Bill. I don't feel anything but annoyance when I think about him now, and here you are, this amazing man who loves me, who hasn't pressured me once for anything… It's just right, Eric. It's right, and I've let us waste so much time. I'm ready. I'm ready to go with you places and have you introduce me as your girlfriend instead of your friend. I'm ready to take you into Sam's bar, introduce you to my friends, and say to everyone, 'this unbelievably beautiful man loves me, and he's mine.' I'm ready."

Eric was smiling by the time I finished my little speech, and he slowly walked over to me, pulled me up from the couch, and gave me the sweetest kiss I'd ever received.

"You have no idea how much I've wanted to hear you say that," he said. "Tomorrow night."

"What's tomorrow night?" I asked, feeling more than a little weak in the knees from his kiss.

"I want you to stay the night. We'll go to my house after work, and whatever happens, happens, and if nothing happens, then we both have the entire next day off and something may happen then. The possibilities are endless."

"I like where you're going with this, but I have to say that unless I get so busy here that I want my feet to fall off at the end of the night, it's going to happen. And then the entire next day it's going to happen more, and breaks are only to be taken for nourishment."

Eric's eyes seemed to darken as I spoke, and a grin spread across his lips.

"I like the way you think," he said, and then he kissed me again. This time it was harder, giving me just a hint of his desire and need for me, and I gave as good as I got until a knock on the door made us break apart.

I took a step back and straightened my shirt as Eric told the person knocking to come in, and I was relieved when it turned out to be Pam.

"Well, well. You two look like you were just making out," she smirked.

I let out a little giggle, gave Eric a kiss on the cheek, and left his office to go work. After my little epiphany and confession to Eric I felt light as a feather, and happier than I'd been in… well, ever. For the first time in a long time, the things that Bill had done didn't truly weigh on my conscience one bit. All I wanted in life at that moment was to continue to enjoy it. I wanted to be with Eric, to laugh, to love, and to move forward, past being just a waitress. I actually aspired to do something different, and Eric was fully supportive of it. I'd never had that before.

I was able to ignore Selah and the other girls the rest of the night if I had to go out into the bar. I talked to Eric after I finished inventory and then I went home, where I frantically searched my drawers for some sexy underwear, but came up empty. All I had was a ton of boy shorts and some bikini cut cotton, nothing with silk or lace.

I picked up the phone and called Amelia, who answered right away.

"I have an emergency," I began, and ten minutes later we had plans to get up early and go shopping, Amelia's favorite pastime.

After having a sandwich and taking a shower, I hopped into bed and tried to fall asleep. Twenty minutes of tossing and turning later, my phone beeped, alerting me to a text message.

**Having trouble sleeping because I can't stop thinking about my girlfriend.**

I grinned, and replied:

_Funny, I'm having the same problem. _

I smiled the whole time I was waiting for his response, and got butterflies when it came.

**Oh, you have a girlfriend? Why didn't I know about this?**

I cracked up, and typed in my reply.

_She's fantastic. I can't stop thinking about her. We're going to make it official tomorrow night._

A schoolgirl with a crush. That's what I felt like at that moment. Maybe a schoolgirl with a crush, mixed with a blushing bride on the night before her wedding.

**Your girlfriend is the luckiest person on the planet. If I were her, I'd hold onto you forever.**

I aww'd at my phone. I actually aww'd out loud at my phone, and then I got misty eyed as I typed a message back.

_Well then it's your lucky day. I've decided that I'd rather spend tomorrow night with my boyfriend. _

**You're right, it is my lucky day. I can't wait to show you just how lucky I feel to have you. **

I couldn't stop smiling.

_I can't wait to show you the same thing. All kidding aside, I'm very, very excited about tomorrow. _

**I am too. I'm going to have to stay in my office all night to keep from dragging you back there. **

I couldn't stop the rush of heat I felt when I read those words.

_That's probably a good idea. Very good things come to those who wait, and you'll be pleased that you did._

At least I hoped he would. I was basing that on what he would see me in, and I didn't even know yet.

**I'll do my best, but when we get to my house, all bets are off, and so are my clothes.**

_And what am I supposed to do while you're naked? _

**You'll be on the bed while I remove your clothes with my teeth.**

Oh yeah, definite rush of heat at that one.

_While that sounds wonderful, I do have a surprise planned in the department of what I'm wearing. _

**I only have one question. Does it involve a thong?**

_Eric!_

**What? I love your butt. It would look fantastic in a thong.**

_I'll have to keep that in mind. But I'm still not telling. _

**I suppose I better go to sleep then so tomorrow will come faster. I love you. **

_I love you, too. Goodnight. _

Sleep came much easier after that.

Amelia was at my house bright and early, unable to hide her excitement. She didn't even want to wait on me to brew coffee, and had come with a to go cup already full.

"I'm so excited that you two are making it official. I'm treating you to today, so leave your wallet in the car," she said when we got in the car to head to Shreveport.

"I can buy my own lingerie," I said.

"Fine, you buy your lingerie, but you're not paying for anything else."

"What else is there? I thought we were just getting me something that isn't made of cotton."

"I am very good friends with the woman who runs a spa, and I'm treating you to a manicure, pedicure, massage, waxing, and facial."

"Waxing? I've never been waxed. That's too much."

"You've never waxed? Not even at home?" she asked, and I shook my head. "What the hell do you have going on down there?"

I blushed the deep red of a tomato.

"I keep the area… trimmed."

"Personally, I go totally bare," she said.

"I'm not doing that," I said, and she knew exactly why. During my healing phase I'd told her about my uncle. One of the things he used to say to me was how much he loved how hairless I was.

"Shit. I'm sorry, Sookie. I wasn't thinking," she said, and reached over to take my hand.

"I know, and it's okay, but I won't be going bare."

"You don't have to. There are all kinds of different things they can do. They have a menu for you to look at."

"We really don't have to do all that. I'm just going to work tonight anyway, so my nails will get hurt at some point."

"I don't care. You're doing it. Now, do you have any idea what kind of lingerie you want to get?" she asked.

"I've never really worn any, so I guess I'll just see what I like. I don't want anything that makes me look slutty, or like I'm trying to hard. I just want to look and feel sexy, for myself, and for him."

"I promise we'll get you something that fits that description. Gotta say, Sook, it's nice to hear that you're doing this for yourself as much as you're doing it for him. You've come a long ass way."

"I know," I smiled. "And I can't wait to prove it to myself, and to him, tonight."

Amelia took me to Victoria's Secret, and after an hour I felt like I'd tried on the whole store. She kept bringing me corsets, and I hated the way I looked. It was either that I looked like a really experienced girl trying to be innocent, or an innocent girl trying to be too sexy and having it come off all wrong.

"You know what? Bring me something with garters. I've always liked the way garters look on a woman, and I want to try them," I told Amelia, and she ran off excitedly for a few minutes. When she came back she only had one set.

"Sookie, this is it. I know it," she said as she handed it to me.

"Let's see how I look in it first," I laughed, and closed the door to the dressing room.

I put all the pieces on, and took a deep breath before turning to look at myself in the mirror.

"Oh wow," I said.

"Is that an it's-the-one wow?" Amelia asked. I turned and opened the door so she could see me, and she let out an excited squeal.

"It's perfect. I feel like me, only sexy," I said.

"Eric's going to love it! You'll be lucky if he doesn't have a premature issue as soon as he sees you."

I laughed and looked at myself in the mirror again, but this time I frowned.

"What?" Amelia asked.

"I just feel like this isn't the one for the first time. I know Eric, and he's going to make it romantic and perfect, and this doesn't really fit that. I love it too much not to get it though. Maybe I should find something else for tonight, and get this for tomorrow. He said something the other day about getting us tickets to a play, so we can go out, and I can wear this under a sexy dress."

"That sounds good to me! If you go out to dinner, go somewhere with booths or a tablecloth, and take his hand up your leg until he hits the top of your stockings. He'll be dying to get you home," she giggled.

"That sounds like a good plan," I laughed, "but I still don't have something to wear for tonight. Think romantic."

She closed her eyes for a moment, and then gasped before taking off into the store again, and when she came back she was holding a pale pink slip with lace trim.

"Amelia, this is beautiful," I said as I took it from her.

"I saw it earlier, and it definitely fits what you want. Try it on," she urged.

I went back into the dressing room and removed the set that I would be wearing the next night, and then I tried on the slip. It was perfect. The pale pink looked great against my skin, and the neckline really accented the swell of my breasts. I opened the door so Amelia could see, and she once again squealed her approval.

We left the store ten minutes later with my purchases, and headed to the spa. The first thing we did was the waxing, just to get it out of the way since I was nervous about it. I got my legs and underarms done at Amelia's insistence, and after consulting with the technician I got a European bikini wax.

Next we got a facial, and then came the mani/pedi's where Amelia decided to ask me about birth control.

"Do you think you're my mother?" I asked, hoping the girl doing my toenails wasn't offended by this conversation.

"I'm just looking out for you. I want you to be safe," she said.

"Fine. We had the conversation a while ago. I'm on the pill, and we both got tested after Bill went to jail. We're clean so we're not going to bother with condoms."

"Are you sure you don't want to use condoms?"

"He's the only one I've ever not used them with," I shrugged.

"You mean Bill never talked you into not using them?"

"Strangely enough, Bill refused to have sex without one. I used to think he was just being safe, but now I wonder if there wasn't more to that. It could have been anything: him not wanting to risk pregnancy, something from his childhood, a bad experience. I don't know, and I really don't care to ever find out. I'm actually relieved it turned out that way."

"I am too. Could you imagine having a kid with him?" she asked with a visible shudder.

"I did," I said quietly. "Once upon a time, when I thought he would be who I ended up with, I imagined having kids with him. Now, of course, I'm thankful nothing like that ever happened, but I did want it once."

Amelia reached over and took my hand, giving it a squeeze to show her support. I smiled at her in thanks, and she quickly changed the subject back to Eric. By the time we got to the massage I was feeling fantastic, and then the massage itself completely relaxed me. I left the spa feeling like a new woman.

We had lunch at a little diner before heading home, where I had just enough time to take a quick shower and pack before heading off to work. I couldn't stop smiling when I got there and saw Eric's car sitting in its spot. My boyfriend's car. The boyfriend I would be making love with in just a matter of hours.

I was feeling so happy in fact, that when I entered the break room to the sound of Selah telling another tall tale about how she was sleeping with the boss, I couldn't find it in me to give a hoot. I was the one that had the one she wanted, and that was all I needed to know.

"Sookie?" I heard Pam say, and turned away from the cup of coffee I was fixing to see her standing in the doorway. The other few girls stopped talking so they could hear whatever Pam was about to say to me.

"Hey Pam," I said.

She gave me a mischievous smile, and then said, "Eric wanted me to confirm with you that you brought an overnight bag as he will be busy in his office all night."

I grinned broadly. "Please tell him that I did remember it, and that I packed for two nights."

"I will," she said. "Oh, he also wanted me to inform you that he bought you a toothbrush to keep at his house, so if you forgot yours again there's no worry."

I wanted to laugh. That had never happened, and I knew without a doubt that Eric told Pam what happened the night before with Selah. This was Pam's way of getting the message across loud and clear that Eric was with me.

"I did remember it this time, but tell him that it's very sweet of him to get me one."

"Sure, Sookie. Also, I think you should know that Eric is very, very excited about…"

"Pam," I said, cutting her off and giving her a you've-made-your-point look. She just chuckled and went back down the hall.

I finished making my coffee, and sat down at a table to drink it like nothing had happened.

"You want to explain that, Sookie?" Selah asked, which surprised me a bit since she was the one lying to everyone.

"Explain what?"

"Why are you staying with Eric tonight?" Arlene asked.

"Because we do that sometimes," I said, and took another sip of the hot coffee.

"You said you were the only one fucking him," Arlene said to Selah.

"She's not _fucking_ him," I said, loving the way Selah's eyes flared wide in her anger. "If she knew Eric at all, she'd know that he doesn't go to clubs, nor would he bring a woman home from one and sleep with her. Eric doesn't do the casual sex thing. He's into monogamous relationships. Also, last Saturday? Eric was in a movie theater with me."

"Are you dating him?" Holly, the nicest waitress in the place, asked.

"Yes, Eric is my boyfriend," I smiled.

"Sookie, that's great!" Holly said, and came over to hug me. "I'm happy for you both."

"Thanks Holly."

"It's so nice to see you move on after Bill. I can't say that I really know Eric, but he's a great boss, and I'm sure he's a great guy," she said, smiling.

"He really is," I said, and got up to put my cup in the little sink.

* * *

**A/N:**

There's only one chapter left, and it's ready to go. Would everyone like it tonight, or should I wait a few days?

Thank you to kgmoll for beta'ing these last two chapters for me! You were great sweetie!


	13. Completion

**Chapter 13 - Completion **

Even though I was in a fantastic mood for sticking it to Selah, and for just being happy, the night seemed to drag on. Eric stayed in his office all evening, but Pam winked at me every time she saw me. Selah avoided me the entire night, but none of the other waitresses were being weird about the new information.

When we finally closed I rushed to Eric's office. It didn't take two seconds after the door closed behind me for him to have me pressed against it. I laughed as he kissed and nipped at my neck, and then worked his way up to my lips.

"It was killing me to stay back here all night, knowing that you weren't far… knowing what we're going to do."

"I'm glad you did. It would have been too much for Selah to see you throw me over your shoulder and carry me back to your office. She's embarrassed enough from what Pam did."

"What exactly did she do? She just told me it was taken care of."

"How about I tell you on the way to your house?" I asked, and took his hand.

"Of course," he smiled, and led me out into the hall. We stopped so I could get my purse from mine and Pam's office, and then we went out into the bar. Out of habit he dropped my hand, but I picked his back up again.

"It's okay. They know now, and I'm not afraid to hide it," I told him.

He smiled, and leaned down to plant a sweet, short kiss on my lips. As we walked through the bar and out the door the other employees were staring, but I didn't care in the least. I was happy.

After getting my bag from my car, we got into Eric's and he drove us to his house. I told him what Pam did on the way and he couldn't stop laughing.

"I can't believe Selah was telling another story. I really should fire her," he said.

"No, she's been embarrassed enough over it. Once the news spreads to all the waitresses, she'll probably quit."

"Good. I don't like that she's saying those things about me, and I don't like that it could have affected your opinion of me if things were different."

"Then let's thank our lucky stars that they aren't," I smiled. "What are you making me for supper?"

Eric always made supper when I stayed with him, which wasn't often, but now that we were official I assumed it would probably happen more.

"For dinner I'm making my favorite, chicken alfredo, and for dessert, your favorite, chocolate lava cake," he said in a way that made me suddenly extremely hungry.

"I'm salivating right now," I laughed.

"I hope not just for the food."

"Oh, I've been salivating for you since yesterday, maybe longer."

He cleared his throat, and then said, "Good," as we pulled into his garage.

Eric started supper while I took a shower to remove the smell of smoke and spilled alcohol, since I still spent most of my time in the bar area overseeing and helping out if needed. I put on a pair of lounge pants and a tank top, and then went to help. I found him cutting up freshly cooked, seasoned chicken breasts at the counter. The top few buttons on his shirt were undone, revealing a little of his light chest hair, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.

"That smells delicious," I said, alerting him to my presence. He looked up and smiled.

"It tastes pretty good too," he said, picking up a piece of the cubed chicken and holding it out for me. I opened my mouth and let him drop the piece in, resisting the urge to lick his fingers while he did.

"Mmm," I moaned as I chewed. "That is fantastic. What can I help with?"

"How about you just sit there and watch me? You've done enough working tonight."

"I'm cool with that. Watching you cook is a big turn-on," I said as I hopped up onto a barstool.

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh really?"

I simply nodded and continued to watch as he put our meal together. While the pasta cooked and the sauce warmed, he started making the cake batter. When he poured it into the dishes he spilled a bit and wiped it off the counter with his thumb. He almost wiped it off on the towel resting over his shoulder, but I reached across the counter and grabbed his hand. His eyes filled with lust as I licked his thumb from bottom to top and then gently sucked it into my mouth before releasing it slowly and sitting back on the stool.

"Good?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Superb," I drawled.

Eric quickly busied himself with draining the noodles while I hopped off the stool and pulled plates out of the cabinet. He loaded each one with a good amount of pasta, but not too much since we didn't want to be too full. He covered the pasta with the sauce, and then placed the still-warm chicken on top. I carried the plates to the table and grabbed some silverware while Eric put the cakes in the oven and pulled out a bottle of wine and two glasses.

The food was delicious, and I found myself moaning out loud a lot during the meal, earning me more than a few hungry looks from Eric.

"If you keep doing that I'm going to drag you to the bedroom and let the cake burn," he threatened towards the end of the meal.

"But you know how happy chocolate cake makes me," I said, batting my lashes a bit.

"You can't eye flirt your way out of this one," he grinned.

"I can't help that the food you cook is so good it causes me to moan," I said. "You should take it as a compliment."

He was about to reply when the oven timer went off. We had both nearly cleaned our plates of the pasta, so he went ahead and took them to the kitchen. I took a long drink of my wine as I waited, and a few minutes later Eric came back with two steaming chocolate cakes, topped with a bit of powdered sugar.

"It's too hot to eat right now," he said suggestively.

An idea flashed in my head, and before I could stop myself I got up and straddled Eric's lap.

"I suppose we should occupy our mouths with other things until it's cool enough," I said, and then I pressed my lips against his lightly.

There was a rumbling sound deep in his chest, and his hands went up to my still slightly damp hair and pressed me closer. We kissed slowly for a short while, savoring each other's flavor. And then Eric's hands moved to my hips, and his tongue delved deeper into my mouth. When we both began moaning I pulled away, stood up, and sat across his lap.

"I think it's cool enough now," I said, my breathing uneven. I picked up the plate and fork in front of Eric and cut into the cake, letting the warm center gush out onto the plate. I made another cut into it and held the piece in front of Eric expectantly. His eyes never left mine as he took the bite into his mouth, and closed his lips around the fork. I pulled it out slowly, loving the look on his face as he chewed the bite and swallowed.

Without saying a word, he took the plate and fork from me, cut off another piece, and sweetly fed it to me. The warm center and the moist cake almost melted on my tongue, and the look in Eric's eyes as he watched me eat the bite ignited a fire down below. We took turns feeding each other bites until the piece was gone, and when it was the look on his face told me that the other piece was just going to have to sit there.

I stood from his lap and set the plate down, and as soon as I turned around Eric was kissing me, pressing me against the table in his need. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he bent down, grasped the back of my thighs, and lifted me up until I wrapped my legs around his waist. He carried me to his bedroom, kicking the door shut behind us, but when I saw the bed I remembered what I was going to wear. I unhooked my ankles and dropped to the floor.

"Wait a second, I need to change," I said.

"I'm just going to rip it off of you," he panted and tried to kiss me again, but I took a step back.

"Please? I got this just for tonight. I want it to be perfect for you." It must have been the pleading look on my face, but he finally nodded.

"Thank you," I said, and gave him a quick kiss. "Go ahead and strip down to your boxers, and sit on the bed," I instructed, and then took off for the bathroom. Before the door shut, I heard his shoes hit the floor and his zipper going down.

I got undressed and took the pale pink slip from my bag. I pulled it on and looked at myself in the mirror. It looked even better than it did in the store. I let my hair hang loose over my shoulders, and adjusted my breasts for maximum effect. With one last look in the mirror and one very deep breath, I went to the door and opened it.

The bedroom was lit only by the dim, glowing light of candles, and Eric was sitting on the end of the bed, looking down at the floor. When he heard the creak of the bathroom door he looked up and saw me.

"Jesus," he muttered, and started to get up, but I held my hand up.

"No, sit. I'll come to you," I said, and he stopped. I walked slowly towards him, never taking my eyes from his. I stopped when I was directly in front of him, standing between his legs. His hands reached out and ran up the sides of my thighs, under the hem of the slip and firmly squeezed my ass.

I let out a moan at the sensation since I wasn't wearing any underwear, and he groaned as his head came forward to rest on my abdomen.

"Do you like it?" I asked.

"What you're wearing or your ass?"

"Both, I suppose."

He pulled his head back to look at me again, and I rested my hands on his shoulders while his began rubbing my butt in a slow and steady rhythm.

"What you're wearing is possibly the sexiest thing I've ever seen on a woman, and your ass? The absolute best, by far."

"Just wait until you see what I'm wearing tomorrow," I said.

"If it's sexier than this, I might make a mess of myself."

"Then I'll be sure to ease you into it," I smirked.

Eric groaned again, and buried his face into my cleavage. He licked, kissed, and nipped, all while kneading my butt with his hands.

"Eric," I breathed out, causing him to pull his head away and look at me.

"You're absolutely sure?" he asked, his hands coming up to cradle my face.

"Yes," I said, and nodded. "I love you, and I want you to show me what real love is like."

"Then I will," he whispered, and even more gently than I thought possible, he pulled me down onto the bed and laid me onto my back. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

He captured my lips with his, and kissed me in such a sensual way that after just a few moments I was ready to melt into a puddle. His lips began to move down, and soon they were kissing the skin of my inner thigh and working their way up. Eric pulled back for a second to push my slip up a bit, and when he lustily looked between my legs his eyes shot up to mine.

"Thought you'd try something different?" he asked.

"Amelia put me up to it," I blushed. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," he said, and then his mouth was on me.

My back arched and I pressed myself against his mouth as I cried out in pure pleasure. He was hungry for me, but instead of devouring, he savored. He stoked the fire in me until it was a burning blaze, and only then did he stop. His lips placed kisses on my inner thighs, then my abdomen, working their way up my body as his hands worked the slip up higher, revealing new skin to kiss. When it got high enough I sat up slightly, and Eric pulled it over my head. I used my feet to work his boxers over his hips and down his thighs, and he kicked them off while his mouth was occupied with my breasts.

We were finally both naked. Neither one of us had injuries this time, emotional or otherwise. It was just me and him; two people in love, complete, whole, and ready to show each other.

I reached down between us and stroked him until his hips began to move in time with my hand.

"I'm ready," I whispered, removing my hand to run my fingers through his hair. He settled his hips between my thighs, and positioned himself with his hand. I took a deep breath as he slowly pushed forward, and didn't let it out until our hips touched.

"I love you," he breathed out. "This is what love is."

I felt like it was one of those moments where the woman lets a tear fall down her cheek at the man's words, but that didn't happen. Instead, I felt an overwhelming need to kiss him, so that's just what I did. I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him with all the love I possessed for him.

"I love you," I whispered to him as he braced himself above me, and then he began to move.

There's no way to describe it as anything other than lovemaking. It had never been like this, not even the first time. That time was about discovery, an aide to my wake-up call. This time was all about completion. Not sexual completion, but spiritual. As cheesy as it sounds, Eric completed me, and I him. We were all of those clichés wrapped up in a box with a somewhat crooked bow. We both had less-than-perfect pasts, but I knew we could have a more-than-perfect future, together.

We kept our rhythm slow and sweet, stopping when we got close so we could kiss each other and drag it out as long as possible. It felt so amazing, physically and emotionally, that I never wanted it to end.

"Let go," Eric panted above me as his hip movements increased in speed.

"I don't want it to end," I said, desperately holding back.

"We'll do it again," he said, and kissed me. "Every day for the rest of our lives if you want. I can't hold on much longer."

I reached up and pulled his mouth down to mine. His thrusts got just a bit faster and harder, so I let myself go, moaning into his mouth with my release. Eric's head dropped into my neck and he groaned as he stiffened above me, and then I felt him swell and pulse deep inside me. I clung to his shoulders and panted while Eric kissed my neck and jaw, up to my lips until our aftershocks died away.

"Perfect," he whispered. "You okay?"

"I'm wonderful," I smiled.

He kissed me once more, and then went to the bathroom to get a washcloth and cleaned us both up. We got under the covers and lay facing each other, his hand rested on my hip, and mine stroked the skin of his chest and stomach.

"I don't think I've ever felt this happy, and that's not just the sex talking," I smiled.

"If it was just the sex, you'd still be happy quite often," he smirked. "We have a lot of time to make up for."

"Oh really?"

"Years, in fact. I've been waiting my whole life for you," he said.

I rolled onto my stomach and buried my face into the pillow.

"What?" he asked with a chuckle as his hand brushed my hair over my shoulder so he could see my face better.

I turned my red face towards him and said, "You can't say stuff like that right now. I embarrass easily after sex like that."

"I don't think you've ever had sex like that."

"You're right, I haven't, but still…" I pressed my face in the pillow again. Eric let out a breathy laugh and moved closer, drawing me into his arms so that my face was nuzzled into his chest.

"Are you happy, Sookie?" he asked.

"More than I've ever been," I said.

"Me too."

"So was I really worth it?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You told me once that a girl like me was worth waiting for. Now that you have me, do you still believe that?"

"Now that I have you, I'm convinced that I would have waited a lifetime."

That was the very moment I knew that Eric would be my happily ever after. I used to believe that it would be Bill and me forever; Bill had been my first everything, the classic boy-next-door-is-your-soulmate thing. I was so wrapped up in that romantic notion that I didn't pay attention to the way he was taking over my life and my mind. Even though none of that got to me like it used to, it still made me realize how wonderful Eric was.

It made me realize that if the situation had been reversed, I would have waited too. Because a man like Eric Northman is the kind of man you would do anything for; unconditionally, and without prompting.

Because Eric Northman was the most perfect flawed man I would ever know.

Because Eric Northman was mine.

* * *

**A/N:**

So there it is. The last chapter of Never Say Never. I started this story after seeing a video nutbustedhaji did on youtube. I did it because I wanted to try to write angst. I started this story with Meads and FDM holding my hand, and I got some very good advice from Kyss near the end, along with the support I always get from A_Redhead_Thing. Without their combined help, big or small, this story would have had a very different ending. I'm very satisfied with the final product, and I'm finally learning that that is really all that matters. I'm happy with what I put out there, and all I can do is hope that you were happy with it too.

I ended up cutting about three lemons from this story, including what happens when Eric sees Sookie in that garter number. If everyone's interested, I could post them all as outtakes, but I won't if people aren't. I mean, they're just lemons :)

As a final note, I'd just like to ask all of you to be a friend to someone you think is in an abusive relationship. Abuse comes in many forms, and I know how frustrating it can be to support a friend going through the abuse Sookie went through in this story, but when they finally have their wake-up call all that frustration is worth it to be able to help them through a tough time.

Thank you to everyone who read this story. I hope you enjoyed it!


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